2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29
Psalm 132:1-5, 11-14
Mark 4:21-25
Why does God not reveal his will for us? If God desires something from us, why not tell us? Certainly there are people in the world who choose not to do the will of God, but there are also people who would gladly do the will of God if they were sure of it. Should we sell everything we have and live in poverty? I would this afternoon if Jesus told me to, as he did the rich young man, if I knew for certain that that and not something else was the will of God for me. The spiritual life can seem like a journey in a fog, barely able to see a few feet ahead.
David plans to build God a temple, but then God, through the prophet Nathan, refuses. David discovers that what he thought was the path he should take was not right at all. But God also makes great promises concerning the future, and David has occasion to remember all that God has done so far. God brought David up from being a shepherd to be the king. He knows that he can trust God because he has been able to trust him up to this point. He does not know what to do now except continue being faithful to the trust that God has placed in him to rule over the people of Israel.
If we do not know what the next step in life should be, we can always be faithful to our responsibilities, we can always help others, we can always pray, we can always improve in any of the thousand ways that we could improve. If we want more to be revealed we have to take the steps we can see now. To those who have, more will be given. This is not because God is hiding something from us. As Jesus says, he wants to reveal it. But there is no point in revealing what we are not yet ready to receive. If we do not take the little steps that are clear, we are not ready for the next big steps. What is hidden will be revealed in the right moment.
Daily Homilies
