ABRAHAM

PARABLE OF JOB

SEPTEMBER 16, 2002

WOODS CROSS GROUP

I am ABRAHAM. Greetings. The energy in the room this evening is exhilarating, to say the least. I so look forward to spending this night each week with you as a collective group. Boundless ideas are inevitable for a group such as yours. Well done. Your personal insight is not merely passing thoughts anymore--they are becoming reality. Your willingness to learn brings you new insight and the courage to follow through in a higher manner.

When we review the parable of Job, we can see that he himself was his stumbling block. His upbringing, religious training and ego gratification, all played a part in bringing Job to that mindal stumbling block. Definitely he wanted to be seen as worthy in the eyes of God. He wanted to be seen as favored by God in the eyes of men. He wanted personal validation as a child of God and mortal of the realm. For a time Job's thoughts turned toward escape. He so much desired to be free from his pain--the sooner the better. In his impatience and fear he sought freedom through escape.

Is there freedom in escaping mortal adversity? Is there spiritual advancement in escape? There is temporary release, of course, but not that gratification of overcoming adversity and moving forward along the path of an eternal career. There is some mortal satisfaction when one can free themselves up from personal entanglements, but there are soul-knowing feelings that one has been ease-seeking and cowardly. That most always leads toward the building of the animal mind, not the spiritual. True happiness lies in the investment of the spiritual life. Eternal gratification comes from knowing you have bravely faced life's challenges, and without a doubt, most certainly earned the growth you have attained.

There was a time in the Master's mortal career that He had sought escape. It took a great deal of mental and spiritual reasoning, prayer and surrender to reconcile within His own mind that though the Father's cup appeared to be bitter, it was indeed Father's will that He drink it. This was also the case with Job, where he had finally become disgusted with his cowardly and ease-seeking ways. He realized his tendency to embrace the animalistic way of fleeing adversity and realized there was no honor or integrity in this. This added to his feelings of unworthiness and decreased his level of confidence in his ability to do any good thing. In his abhorrence of self, there was his surrender and insight that alone without God there was nothing of value. In this small opening of heart and mind, there is the still small voice with practical guidance and comfort for the soul and mind.

Low self-worth is rampant in the world today and I bring you not this lesson to add to that burden, no, but to aid you in your efforts toward self-mastery. Alone, without God, who am I? Where is the value? Where is that soul-knowingness that 'in all my efforts there is eternal advancement?' I realize the mortal life is fraught with struggle and certainly the Father understands your desire to escape from time to time. During those moments He invites you to escape closer to Him. Allow Him His deepest desire to be your Father, to love, comfort and guide His child toward Him. There is not one part of existence that He is not interested in. He desires to be close to you in all ways.

This week take time to journal an answer to the following question: Are you your biggest stumbling block toward attaining a spirit-led life? What techniques might you practice toward reconciling the mortal mind to embrace the divine cup? Ponder the meaning of insight and how it reveals the itself in your lives. Read the story about the Master's reconciliation concerning drinking the Father's cup. Contemplate the courage it takes to fully surrender. That is all. No questions. Know that my love is ever growing for you each. Until next week, shalom.