Br. Athanasius Becker
Is Psalm 81 false? Will God not help us at once? Is God really helping us when we surrender to him if following the Lord so often involves trials? What if God assists us precisely by afflicting us?
With the Sacred Scriptures as its principal source-text, each Lectio Divina (“Sacred Reading”) essay offers a prayerful meditation on the Word of God—one which draws from the wealth of biblical literature, as well as the prayer life of the individual author.
Scripture is often sweet. I am consoled every time I hear in Psalm 81, “Oh, that my people would hear me, that Israel would walk in my ways! At once I would subdue their foes, turn my hand against their enemies.” Whatever I am suffering, I am reminded that God desires my salvation more than I do. He has promised to help us at the very moment we call upon him.
For a vivid example of God’s saving hand, consider the Israelites trapped between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian forces. God parted the Red Sea, and the Israelites passed through the dry river bed while the pursuing Egyptians drowned after them. By dividing the waters of the sea, God did not just save the Israelites. He coddled them. According to a popular Easter hymn they even crossed with feet “unmoistened.” God not only saved Israel when they trusted in his power, but he saved the Israelites from even the discomfort of getting their feet wet.
Yet there is a slight problem here: how often is this actually the case? It certainly doesn’t seem to accurately describe my own life. When I have followed and trusted in the Lord, my problems did not go away instantly. In fact, following the Lord often leads to new trials. When Moses and Aaron, according to the command of God, » Read More
https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2024/11/afflicting-redeemer-athanasius-becker.html