Normandt' Catholic Meditations

[Normandt]

53. God cannot curse



Abraham has the impression that God says:
"I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you." Genesis chapter 12, verse 3
If one person despises another, will he be happy? Is it possible to be happy when he hurts a person? Let's read it again: "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you." We know that God cannot reprove, condemn, curse: this is absolutely not in his nature. Yet it is written, some will say.

Would it be better said that the person who despises the other could go so far as to curse himself? It's possible. So, if someone curses someone, he commits to cursing himself.

Because the evil that he ventures on the other is the evil with which he's contaminated. God doesn't curse. He doesn't need God to condemn and condemn himself. He curses and then he curses himself. He's able to condemn himself alone.

This text is, therefore, in itself an affirmation that can put God at wrongdoing. The "I will curse" placed in the mouth of God is very possibly the understanding of the writer, in his living time, about God. To reprove, to exclude a person from his face for eternity is absolutely not in the way of God's action, it isn't in God's plan.

For the author of Genesis, by this biblical passage, God seems to be responsible for both good and evil in the world. The author had not yet learned to distinguish between evil that doesn't concern God and good that represents God.

The final answer would be more likely: "The person who will curse, he will condemn himself. He risks being excluded from eternity if he curses others; even worse, if he curses God." The boomerang effect.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

54. God does not harden the heart



However, the people of Israel, with Moses as guide, managed to flee Pharaoh and Egypt. God seems to say, by Moses:
"Thus will I make Pharaoh so obstinate that he will pursue them." Exodus, chapter 14, verse 4

God cannot harden the heart of anyone, even Pharaoh's, and lead him to persevere, so that he catches fugitives and takes them back into captivity. It's not realistic to portray God this way.

This passage is an example of people at the time who do not know God. God is not complicit in "Pharaoh's stubbornness", so to "harden Pharaoh's heart". It's Pharaoh who persists and hardens his heart.

It's the human being who hardens the heart and becomes inhuman through gestures and words against humanity.

We need discernment from the wisdom of God. God can only be Love. Let's remember that in the Love of God are included the following manifestations: peace, joy, prayer, wisdom, life, liberty, mercy, etc. The remains, especially the negative words about God, are nothing but a wrong and incorrect way of perceiving him.

God's Heart is filled with Love and he cannot encourage people to harden their hearts, to become obstinate. We ourselves do not encourage it, since the person would become dangerous for himself and his environment.

So, we appreciate God by placing all the writings of the Bible under the magnifying glass of his infinite and luminous Love. God saves his people, but he's no friend of the evil caused by Pharaoh.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

55. Rebuke against God



The people of Israel still rebuke against Moses:
"Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?" Exodus, chapter 17, verse 3

It's classic. When we do not have what we want, we often accuse others, the government, and then recriminate directly or indirectly against God. Why does God seem to cover us with misfortune?

As for families in Israel, we are used to living in an environment that can lead us to maximum security, to habits that are no longer to be dismantled. And we go around in circles, instead of bouncing our way back to God.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

56.Too heavy



After an interesting internal journey, surprisingly, Moses becomes free and lucid enough to ask God for help:
Was it I who conceived all this people? Or was it I who gave them birth, that you tell me to carry them at my bosom, like a foster father carrying an infant, to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers?

Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, 'Give us meat for our food.'

I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me. Numbers, chapter 11, verses 12 to 14

What Moses understands is invaluable: "Was it I who conceived all this people?" He understands that the people of Israel are the people of God: "I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me."

Yes, Moses is a wanted guide of God for his people ... and his mission is to lead him to God. Moses recognizes God as the one who leads his people. He hands the people over to God, since he is responsible for this people.

We cannot do anything without God. Let's give him back all people and all groups.

Despite the weight of the moment, Moses clings to his relationship with God. He has always worked with God. But there are people who are never happy, never satisfied. They will demonstrate to Moses that they do not want freedom. Nevertheless, Moses wishes to take them out of their bad experience lived in Egypt and bring them back to freedom, in God.

Moses is in a listening attitude with God:
To the people, however, you shall say: Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, when you shall have meat to eat. For in the hearing of the Lord you have cried, "Would that we had meat for food! Oh, how well off we were in Egypt!" Therefore the Lord will give you meat for food, and you will eat it. Numbers, chapter 11, verses 18 to 19

God is always listening. As soon as Moses is released from the complaint of the people, he gets his answer.

May the leaders of a people, a nation, a country, a church remain in God, like Moses. May they continue, in spite of everything and even in what seems impossible to comprehend, to return to God.

Moses relies on God. Let's trust Jesus. Let's receive what we need and the needs for others. It's never necessary to complain, since God is there and he hears us very well. Although, to complain is often the reaction which precedes a serious reflection.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

57. No consequences for sin?



Are there no consequences for sin? Absolutely not. Because sin is lacking, separating from the Love of God. Sin is an action and evil is its consequence.
Through sin, the person hurts himself and can destroy himself. The only decision of the person to turn to sin causes him evil.

This is being unfaithful to the Love of God. Leaving God, which will cause us evil, leads to suffering. Without the love of God, we sink into the mud of evil.
Let's continue with the next passage of the Exodus, which is not easy to understand, since it seems to contradict the message of Jesus:
"Love your enemies." Matthew, chapter 5, verse 44

Let's continue immediately with what is written in the Book of Exodus:
"I will be an enemy to your enemies." Exodus, chapter 23, verse 22

For a people who are often at war, we can assume that he did not understand the message that God is transmitting to him. How can God be an "enemy" since he is Love?

It's easy to conclude that God would hurt someone. But Jesus sets the clock back on time. He confirms that God loves even enemies.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

58. God doesn't fight anyone



God is present from generation to generation. He is now with Joshua. Joshua thinks God is fighting the people of the Amorites:
"They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you." Joshua, chapter 24, verse 8

Joshua assumes that God is fighting in war with them. But he does not fight Joshua's war enemies.

God has never been in their wars. God has never destroyed anyone. He has no weapons. It was the people of that time who believed that God was in their battles and gave to them victories against humans.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

59. A curse from God, impossible



Another false image of God:
"The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses." Proverbs, chapter 3, verse 33

This gives the impression that God can cause a person's curse. Impossible. We now know that it is the person who is causing the curse. By moving away from God, from his Love, the person turns outward toward the evil's side. He causes his evil, being away and rejecting God.

On the other hand, when a person lets himself be loved by God, he becomes more righteous, more adjusted to Love. And the justice of God becomes his discipline and his balance of life. The justice of God is to receive what we need, life, love, mercy, etc. Let's offer what we receive from God.

It's simple to understand; we are approaching or moving away from God. Becoming charitable or becoming selfish. Become a follower of Jesus, give thanks to Jesus or place the pride of popularity on us.

We are free to choose. God offers us good and we are free to choose evil.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

60. John, the beloved



John, Jesus's Apostle and evangelist lives a relationship close to perfection with Jesus.

He's not perfect, but John seems to have found the way to surrender to the Heart of God. He reveals to us the truth. John is the only one who sums up the Heart of God and the core message of the Bible, in three words:
"God is Love." 1 John, chapter 4, verse 16b

And John wrote just before:
"We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us." 1 John, chapter 4, verse 16a

John speaks to "us" in this last statement, but is he aware of what this implies: "We have come to know and to believe in the Love God has for us." However, to have written it, John must have experienced the Love of God in the depths of his being.

John is near God. It is therefore possible to believe in God and to know his Love. But are we aware of it? How do we determine that we know his Love?
Some texts in the Bible give the impression that God isn't Love. How many of our contemporaries like to rebel against God and say that with all that is happening in our world, God cannot be Love? It just keeps on going.

Let's add this excerpt:
"Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." 1 John, Chapter 4, verse 16b

John's powerful words remind us to remain in Love to know God.
So why do we deny God's truth? What are the reasons for being opposed to John's words? Consciously or unconsciously, in many ways and words we assume that God isn't Love. Why does attraction to evil lead us so far?

It's crucial to update our database. "God is Love" and God can only be Love. Maybe we underestimate the Love of God, but we can never overestimate the Love of God.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas