‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behavior.
I worked in my garden today. I love the process of producing food from a seed. The miracle of a plant and crop coming from such a small asset amazed me. Everyday there is progress. We weed water and wait as the plant matures to harvest.
Has any god ventured to take to himself one nation from the midst of another by ordeals, signs, wonders, war with mighty hand and outstretched arm, by fearsome terrors – all this that the Lord your God did for you before your eyes in Egypt?
Yes, even today we see God’s mighty power at work. We have politicians and countries who think they have power, but the wonders of God will win in the end. Their power pales to the wonders of the Lord. ‘Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you forever.’
It doesn’t take much to prosper. A person has to work, if they are able. They also have to obey the commandments. The thing that is missing from this scripture is that all of this is done in family and community. Where we individually will fail there are friends, family and community who help us to prosper. When one prospers, we all prosper.
When it comes to family, you have to deal with the cards the Lord has given you. I am grieved by some of my relatives. They were given to us so that we have someone to pray and encourage. We may not succeed but that is not our mission on earth. If we abandon them, there is no one to intercede for them. They are not a burden but an opportunity to love as Jesus would love. Nonetheless, we can choose our faith-community and we can choose our friends. We have no control of the people we encounter in business or public life. How we respond to them is something to allow us to prosper and spread the Good News that is in our hearts.
Going back to my garden. Someone vandalized my eight corn plants. I was very angry. The corn was almost ready to harvest. I tried to think that the corn went to feed someone that was hungry, but the plants represented more than 18 ears of corn. It was just meanness.
How do you deal with mean people?
It takes a mature Christian to shrug this off. I have to confess I am not completely there as yet. I am working on it. I need to pray for them but this is not easy. In the end justice and prosperity will come to me. I can purchase beautiful corn at ythe vegetable stand. The person who vandalized the corn will get justice. ‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behavior.
Jesus will bring justice to the oppressed and it is not up to me to get angry. He will take care of things. I must follow His commandments and pray for those people He gives me. Anger is not Godly so let it be.
So as we go forward today. Pray for those who hurt you and let justice come to those who hurt you.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for the soul of our beloved Pontiff, Pope Francis and for his successor, Pope Leo. Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace! The impossible could and can happen. Never deny God.
