Read Exodus 3:13-20, Psalm 105, and Matthew 11:28-30
“I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it; after that, he will let you go.” (Exodus 3:19-20)
Words are powerful, they control our thoughts, feelings, and actions. The world as it exists today is a product of words; words spoken by God at creation. We can define the type of future we desire for ourselves by selecting and controlling our vocabulary.
One word that we must be careful about is: “Difficult.” The moment we label anything as difficult, we are giving it a command; asking it not to be easy and very often, it obeys. When we say something is difficult, it becomes so because we basically paralyze our spirit beforehand.
This was the experience of Moses in the burning bush. When God told him his mission, there was only one word in Moses’ mind - Difficult! This Moses who grew up in Pharaoh’s house was too conscious of the power of Pharaoh. That was why he ran away from Egypt in the first place after killing an Egyptian. Moses was asking himself: “Who could dare challenge Pharaoh?” Moses never gave a thought to the enormous power of God.
Like Moses, there are times we become too conscious of the greatness and complexity of our problems that we completely lose sight of the greatness of God. Despite seeing that the bush was burning yet not consumed, Moses still feared Pharaoh more than God. When we go before God in prayer, it is unfortunate that instead of reflecting on God, we reflect on the enormity of our problems. We tend to be more afraid of our enemies (both real and perceived) than God.
Moses asked God for his name because he knew how much people respected names. God gave Moses a name - I AM THAT I AM. No matter how tough life may be, God is saying to us: just know that I AM; I am here for you. I am here with you.
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus concretizes this name by saying: “Come to me all you who are burdened by ‘difficulties’ and you will find rest for your souls.” Come to me. I am here for you. I am that I am. I will always be here. Your challenges will soon go away but I remain here. I can never leave your presence. I am here.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, may I never lose sight of your presence in the midst of my challenges. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor (Memorial). Bible Study: Exodus 3:13-20, Psalm 105 and Matthew 11:28-30).