Your words today, O Lord Jesus, are so difficult to understand even puzzling and disturbing but that is how it is often in life: the harder it gets, the better we become like the children of Israel when persecuted in Egypt.
A new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. Accordingly, taskmasters were set over the children of Israel to oppress them with forced labor. Yet the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. (Exodus 1:8,11, 12)
Sometimes, Lord, you allow us to go through hardships and trials in life so we may realize that YOU alone are the most essential in life like when you sent the children of Israel to Egypt during the period of great famine. You sent them there not only to find food but to rediscover Joseph their brother and ultimately find YOU, dear God, still faithful, still loving.
Alas, as time went on with them in Egypt like with our own experiences, we stop entering into a relationship with you dear God, when our needs are fulfilled, when we have found solutions to our problems, not realizing that more important than temporary solutions to our temporary problems is the wonderful intimacy with you here, today, through eternity where we have God more than any amount of peace and prosperity.
Jesus said to his Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:34, 39)
Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us in being so focused in solving the many problems of the world than in finding God and his love; remind us of our first task of casting away evil and sins that plague us and the world so that everything may be restored in you again. Amen.
