I swear by My life! Nothing save that which profiteth them can befall My loved ones. To this testifieth the Pen of God, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Best Beloved. (Shoghi Effendi, Advent of Divine Justice, p. 69)
This is a really hard quote for those who want answers to “why is this happening to me?” No matter what life throws at us, the bottom line is that it’s happening to profit us. Somehow, it’s for our good, and that can be hard medicine to swallow, especially when we’re going through really hard times. I’ve come to understand that all of our tests serve 2 purposes: to draw us closer to God and to help us acquire the virtues we’ll need in the next world.
When my brother was killed and my daughter died and I suffered through years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, I felt like a victim and even for many years, blamed God. If there was a God, (and for many years I couldn’t accept that there was), how could He do these things to me? I’ve come to realize that God doesn’t think the way we do. I will never understand why He gave us free will and then stood by watching what mankind would do with it. But with these quotes, and others like it, I’ve come to recognize that my life is better with God in it. I can more easily handle everything that comes my way, I can appreciate that it’s strengthened my relationship to him, and no doubt I’ve developed a lot of virtues, resilience among them.
Knowing that all my tests are for my benefit, I can relax and I am grateful!
What jumped out for you as you read today’s meditation? I’d love it if you would share so we can all expand our knowledge of the Writings!
If you liked this meditation, you might also like my book Fear into Faith: Overcoming Anxiety
Pure and sanctified art Thou, O my God! How can the pen move and the ink flow after the breezes of loving-kindness have ceased, and the signs of bounty have vanished, when the sun of abasement hath risen, and the swords of calamity are drawn, when the heavens of sorrow have been upraised, and the darts of affliction and the lances of vengeance have rained from the clouds of power — in such wise that the signs of joy have departed from all hearts, and the tokens of gladness have been erased from every horizon, the gates of hope have been shut, the mercy of the supernal breeze hath ceased to waft over the rose-garden of faithfulness, and the whirlwind of extinction hath struck the tree of existence. The pen is groaning, and the ink bewaileth its plight, and the tablet is awestruck at this cry. The mind is in turmoil from the taste of this pain and sorrow, and the divine Nightingale calleth: “Alas! Alas! for all that hath been made to appear”. And this, O my God, is from naught but Thy hidden bounties.
Bahá’u’lláh
I LOVE this newly translated prayer, Jay. It always makes me laugh every time I say it. In it, every possible bad thing is happening and when I first read it only half way, I wanted to go out and slit my throat, so the last line was like comic relief! “And this, O my God, is from naught but Thy hidden bounties”. How then can we ever complain about anything again? This last line needs to become one of my daily mantras. Thanks for sharing!