We are in a time of growth and renewal. Daffodils are pushing themselves out of the ground in my yard. Buds are popping out on my Bradford tree branches. Slavery and freedom are not just actual events from long ago, or even presently in other countries. They are states of being for all mankind.
In any area we feel trapped by our nature or circumstances, this is slavery. If you think you can't control your anger, or make a financial opportunity come your way, you are enslaved by the illusion called Pharoah, called yetzer hara. If the Almighty wants it there is nothing you can't accomplish. We're not talking about open miracles. He doesn't readily do open miracles. He can, but He doesn't. So if you're 4'11" and you want to be on the Lakers, you might be asking for too much. But within the realm of human possibilities that He created, almost anyone can get married, almost anyone can be a multi-millionaire, almost anyone can have Divine Inspiration.
The aspirations and dreams of most people are attainable but they are held back by self-inflicted "slavery".
In order to tap into the spiritual opportunity of this time period, I recommend looking for a message. What area of spiritual growth is your next step in the process of becoming great (in spiritual terms)?
When we lived in a much more spiritually aware time period, there were more open messages from the Almighty regarding our character and opportunities for growth. The spiritual "leprosy" described in Leviticus Chapter 14 is one of those messages. While the actual experience of this spiritual disease is not around today, the lessons we learn from it are every bit as relevant.
Spiritual Guides
For a physical problem we turn to a doctor, for a spiritual problem who do you turn to? We need to find people in our lives we can turn to for spiritual dilemmas. It can be a sage or a holy person, or it can even be someone who is better at whatever area of growth you want to achieve. If you have a problem with anger, speak to people until you find someone who has conquered their anger.
A mentor can be someone you know well, or someone who has a book that inspired you and you find it useful to think "What would so-and-so advise me to do in this situation?"
The Cohen was the spiritual guide the person went to when he/she had this spiritual disease. Pure or impure, the Cohen would decide. A sage might be the person the afflicted would go to for practical advice and to know the laws, after the Cohen made his decision. After the sage, the afflicted might go to a prophet or holy person to ask what the message was from God. What spiritual growth is necessary or beneficial at this time for me to work on?
What's a message?
When trying to read a message, we need to be sensitive to our spiritual ups and downs. What areas have we been finding a struggle lately? What kind of criticism have we been subject to, implied or explicit? Spiritual messages come at us from all angles, from friends, enemies, news reports, and yes, sometimes from physical maladies. When we don't take the time to do our own focus, introspection and spiritual work, God has to get our attention somehow, and it often seems like a debilitation or calamity is the only thing that will get us to stop and think "Why is God doing this to me?"
If it's a message, then the problem is coming from God's love for us. He wants us to grow. He wants us to be great.
Take a guess
Since we don't have prophecy, we can't be absolutely sure what the message is for any particular problem we have. But you can introspect and come up with a reasonable possibility. You can talk it over with a mentor, counselor, friend or spiritual advisor. The goal is to come up with something to work on that is of a benefit to you whether or not you hit the nail on the head.
For example, if your new car has a bunch of problems that seem to plague it, the message may be that you're too focused on physicality, or that you have put too much of your ego into the car, or that you overextended yourself financially with it just to impress others or make them jealous. If you work on any one of these three areas of spiritual growth, it will do good things for you in this world and the next.
Spiritual Exercise
Look over the past few months and pick out the worst problem that you've had to deal with. Ask yourself if there is a possible message hidden in the problem. Talk it over with someone you trust, and then make a specific plan for growth, or write down five specific actions you are going to do that will help you be different.
control your anger, or make a financial opportunity come your way, you are enslaved by the illusion called Pharoah, called yetzer hara. If the Almighty wants it there is nothing you can't accomplish. We're not talking about open miracles. He doesn't readily do open miracles. He can, but He doesn't. So if you're 4'11" and you want to be on the Lakers, you might be asking for too much. But within the realm of human possibilities that He created, almost anyone can get married, almost anyone can be a multi-millionaire, almost anyone can have Divine Inspiration.