And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. Exodus 6:8-9
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."
Mathew 5:14
Meditation:
War, terror attacks, sexual abuse...the world is filled with people committing acts that are not in line with the word of God. People turn to things to give them comfort: alcohol, drugs, sex, greed, exercise, food. Sometimes it feels hopeless, like the world is filled with too many challenges for us to overcome. What is the point in trying if the problems will keep resurfacing? Moses faced a staggering challenge at the request of God: free the Israelites from Egypt. Moses resisted at first, thinking that he was not capable of performing the tasks that God commanded. Moses probably felt the same way that I described in the first paragraph: hopeless. What would be the point in even trying when he would surely fail? Even when Moses finally musters the courage to speak to the Israelites, they didn’t listen because they felt defeated and tired. Life had beaten them down so hard they had lost all hope. Consider many of the problems that I mentioned in the first sentence. Why are people committing such heinous acts? Why do people turn to alcohol, drugs, greed, food, corruption, and sex? Because they have lost hope.
Brothers and sisters, we must lead, like a shining beacon on a hill, as an example, to show people who feel hopeless that there is hope! “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Moses became hopeful; survivors of the Egyptian captivity eventually became hopeful; the early Christians that were persecuted and killed, survivors of the Holocaust and world wars all had one thing in common, they remained hopeful. Let our light shine in the darkness for all to see.
If not us, then who? There are so many things that divide us: countries, race, religions, politics, economic factors… Think about what things make us all the same… human, not different, not special, just human.
How can we focus on the things that unite us to bring us closer together?
Prayer:
Father in Heaven everyday Renew our Faith, Hope, and Trust in You! Help us to be Peacemakers spreading your Love and Mercy by sharing the good news of Salvation and invite everyone to accept Jesus as their Personal Savior! In His name we’re praying for Peace and Love! Amen!
Author: Jose Reyes
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