 |
| StudyMap of Psalms 18-20. For all the Psalms, click here. |
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
Lord Jesus, please explain to me this text.
Response received:
We want to speak to humans through all the creation, not through only one part. We want to speak to you through the stars, through the sun and moon, through the beauty of plants and trees, through the wonders of animals, through the marvel that humanity is and can be. As you learn to be open to my voice, I will speak to you concerning all creation. As you welcome the Holy Spirit he will teach you all things. Learn to observe your world, learn to listen to my voice, and you will learn through simple things as I taught my disciples. You will learn through a sower, through a lamp that lights a room, through a computer that communicates far away, through all that is around you. The key is to be opened to my presence, to the presence of the Holy Spirit, and to ask us to teach you.
If you think that you know enough to do your tasks every day, then we will let you experience the day without us, with all the unnecessary struggles that this implies. If you want to learn from me, then I will teach you. As you discover evil in many places around you and in you, you will realize that you are not able to solve these problems by your strength. When you see people sick or despairing, you will have to face your very limited abilities to help others.
As you face these limits, you will become ready to receive my good news in the depth of your being. As people realize their inadequacies, their inner struggles and their lack of peace, they become ready to welcome my peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding. As long as people naively think that they can ‘make it’, that they figured out how to be happy or how to solve all the problems of the world, the impact of their faith is at best minimal, if not null.
As you recognize your weakness and your need of help in all domains, come to me and I will give you rest. I will teach you and guide you. Of course, the Bible will be a key tool in the training. Of course, all of the creation will also be a key part in your learning. In all this, you will first have to realize that your world is not as split up as it seems, you will realize that as I teach you to see with my eyes, you will find meaning in all you see. You will find beauty in many places of the creation and will rejoice at what I am doing, and how you can participate in living and spreading my good news.
This good news is that I came to deliver prisoners, to heal and free the creation from evil. I had already won the battle in my human body when I was on earth, as the foundation and pattern for all humans to imitate, to welcome the Holy Spirit to bring this freedom from brokenness and evil in all lives. I came to renew humanity, to bring real hope and peace. I died for the sins of humanity, so that a new freedom from sin would be possible for humans. I offered my life as a sacrifice of love to the Father and to humanity. Welcome this sacrifice, welcome my deliverance.
Like David who wrote this psalm, learn to see our love at work in you and around you, learn to focus on what is meaningful, learn to ask questions and to receive my answers. You will then be amazed at all you can learn from the simple things of your life, and how freedom is simple with me. Freedom is for accomplishing the grand purpose of the Father, which is love and harmony. This purpose involves a cost, because not all will accept this. Some will prefer selfish gain and will crush those who threaten their goals. It is what happened to me during my life. Such persecution is something I warned my disciples they would face. Change always has a cost, and you must be ready to accept it in order to live with me.
As you find meaning and purpose in all you see and all you do, I will also teach you what is your part in the concert of God’s love. This part will involve joys but also risks and pains. As you learn to play your part, you will rejoice and experience freedom and peace, as you also see oppositions. Be careful not to think you are better than others, because God alone is good. Remain humble in all you do, finding direction in fellowship with us so that you don’t forget that you don’t have life and peace in yourself but only in communion with us. Many think they have figured out what peace and love mean, and then they proudly teach others what their own selfish and naive version of what peace and love means instead of coming to the fountain of love and peace that we are with the Holy Spirit and the Father.
Come to us and your eyes will be opened to the purpose of the universe, like an orchestra with the Father as the conductor. Learn to see with my eyes, learn to play your part and rivers of living water will flow out of you and bless others. The Holy Spirit will guide you in all things and darkness will not be able to crush you. Remember that in this orchestra you are not alone, that we are with you, that many humans are already playing their part, as parts of my Church. The more people in my Church learn to play together the song of creation, to follow me and to do the Father’s will, the more beautiful the music that comes from them will be, and the more people will believe that I have sent them. Do not focus on problems but focus on my love and guidance. There are problems and evil both in the world and in churches, but there is also beauty and grace. Focus on my grace, follow my lead, and you will help my Church to grow in love, as a key part of our plans of love.
As you follow me, you become a living part of my Church and enter in the mystery of my union with the Church. This mystery is a wonder that cannot be grasped by analysis, that can be approached only through love and humility. To enter into the kingdom of heaven you have to learn again to wonder and marvel at the different parts of creation, like children do. Rejoice in this simplicity, let the beauty of creation impact you every day, learn to seek for diamonds of our grace in all you see and all you do, and you will be a free child of God, a light for those in darkness, a hope for the hopeless, a sweet aroma of our divine love in this struggling world.
