Blessings… Tests… And Years

WED., FEB. 28, 1996, 8:47 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

The Isaiah experience will be over next week, and it has been an experience of Me, as the God Who spoke through this prophet, alternately blessing and testing My people Israel. These many years and even several centuries later… am I still doing the same? The simple answer is yes. The more complex response is that it often isn’t easy to tell which is which.

You are pretty comfortable with My repeated assurance to you that you have been much more blessed than tested. You can’t be sure how the rest of your life will be, but you hope you can deal with any tests I still may have for you. You live in a portion of this country that is not considered to be very blessed, but that very “non-designation” means that it is, for you. The home-Farm on which you’re privileged to live is surely a blessing, and you look forward to being able to give it more time, energy, and attention.

The question that yesterday’s class raised was “what about your culture… and its relationship to the rest of the earth and My diverse peoples?” Am I still blessing your country or are present conditions just prelude to a severe testing? The facts, relative to yesterday’s overview of environmental conditions, seem to be that your culture’s notions of progress and criteria for economic health are not going to be acceptable much longer. Changes from these seem right to you, but you’re not sure how these will finally affect you. You speculate that the more horrendous changes will come in the years after your earth life is over (this one)… and you’re probably right. (I could tell you for sure, but part of this “test” for you is not knowing… so that faith is more necessary.)

One basic lesson from Isaiah that you discerned, probably more than the others, is that I, the Triune Lord God, am the Mover and Shaker in this earth scene. I can determine what happens to any individual and any group of people. I use some to reward others. Conversely, I use some to punish others. This sometimes means that apparent blessings are really the by-product of being used to humble others, and it is how you… and a culture… react in such situations which determines spiritual progress or the need for some later punishing testing.

It is clear to you that the productive America that seems so desirable and necessary is, finally, unsustainable. And yet the momentum is to keep doing what you’re doing, and more so. Moving toward a more stable state culture is a vision not uttered by any current political candidate. This would be an Isaiah-like call to a people who feel blessed, but want only more blessings, whatever the eventual consequences. Some small changes are being suggested, even enacted, but the momentum is for more of the same… and, as you see, this is unsustainable.

Yet what about the “years”? In the past you have commented on “reverse future shock”, meaning that expected changes, instead of coming too fast, have come much slower. So perhaps the “world” in which you have lived and thrived will last longer than your earth body. Consider that your major “test” may be living a continued life of blessing, hand in hand with Me. Can you be properly thankful and willing to give of yourself and your means to Me, in ways that I suggest or of which I obviously approve? Hmmm…