214th Meditation
“Without trials God’s providence is not seen, and you cannot obtain boldness before God, nor learn the wisdom of the Spirit, nor can divine longing be established in you” (Isaac of Syria).
Temptation, suffering and persecution are some of the most difficult lessons in our journey of following the Lord. It is not easy for us to reconcile them with the tender love of our Father, even though we know that it always enfolds us and has been assured to us in so many ways. Who would willingly choose to carry such a cross?
Yet time and again we hear testimonies of people who were able to recognise God’s love in the midst of adversity. The masters of the spiritual life – in this case, the monk Isaac of Nineveh – show us how worthy it is to accept the crosses we encounter on our way and to grow spiritually through them.
This counts for temptations as well, even if their aim is to lead us away from God’s path, to hinder us or to wear us down. But it is precisely in these trials, however difficult they may be to bear, that our gaze should not focus on the evil intention of the temptations, but rise through faith to the goodness of our Father.
Even in difficult situations, God always has our salvation in view, and so He uses even temptations to strengthen our spiritual life through them.
-We perceive God’s care in them. In order to be able to contemplate Him face to face in eternity, we need a profound purification. Temptations show us where we still need to be purified and strengthen our resilience. Moved by His formative love, God wants to bring us to perfection and will omit nothing that is necessary for us to enjoy the beatific vision in eternity.
-We gain confidence in our Father, because we experience that He always shows us a way out of temptation, whether He gives us the strength to resist or, if we have been weak and fallen, He picks us up after we have repented. Moreover, He can make our struggle fruitful also for other people.
-We come to know better the wisdom of God, who knows how to use the adversities of life for our sanctification.
-Love for God is strengthened in our hearts, because we experience His constant help and wisdom. The soul knows that, in Him and in His love, it is in good hands and can thus travel its path with greater security.