We are to seek the faces of God while they may be found, and the aspect of divine Wisdom is of great importance. Divine Wisdom has little to do with the thought process; rather, it characterizes a posture of the intellect. Many call the intellect the ego;  but whatever it is called, there is widespread agreement that it must be harnessed, quiented, stilled so that Wisdom, which some call the higher self, may break through the noise of everyday life.

If the thought process active within man is the tool by which a man's thoughts are to be regulated, then the mind is at war with itself. The goal is suppression; liberation is the reward for overcoming the ego. How can comfort come to an individual whose intellect is devoted to the death of his rational mind?

Come. Let us reason together. How does the path of ego suppression differ from the path one takes against another when seeking vengeance? To triumph over the "lower self" is to celebrate death of the ego. The yoke we are to bear is easier than that. War against the ego is not jihad. It is accusation that the Source of Life gives souls enough rope to hang themselves, so that mercy will be appreciated. The hairs of our heads are numbered. So, also, are our steps and our missteps. Abimalech is allowed to go only so far with his admiration for Abraham's wife.

We are not charged with becoming our own executioners, or even our own policemen. We are asked to repent: not to feel sorry, but to come into alignment. To repent is to turn, and repenting of the mind's earthly paradigm is to drop it and to accept the heavenly paradigm. We are given choice, whether we serve what we perceive to be our own interests or to accept the catechism that comes from above.

We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices. That is the circumcision. The uncounted things that happen after that are no longer our concern: we are surrendered to the higher will; and if we're told to eat shellfish, well, shellfish it is! We are to unload our thoughts: comfort begins when we understand that the mind is to be presented before HaShem as living sacrifice, in faith that our offering is acceptable and will be honored.

 Saving our lives is no longer our concern. Moderating our behavior is no longer our concern. We serve a living Presence, and that Presence is present within us. It is not a mystery to be invoked, but a friend with whom we are becoming better acquainted. We'll not be afraid of ditches or witches or demons or death. What we need is to be given to us in the hour of our need, and we will not be asked to suffer more than we can bear.

The mind that serves the cravings of the creature can give rise to detestable things, but the mind itself  is a gift of HaShem for our good. Because we once lifted the tool of personal will against our minds, they became polluted and distracted by the cares of Earth, which suffers because of our errors. We are to repent: to turn from earthly focus to heavenly focus as living sacrifices. To do so, how can we continue to be driven by the will of an individual? We must present our minds and bodies as they actually are, not as we think they should  be.

If a thing in our lives is to be discontinued, it's the Father's business to flag the offense and to lead us into the way of escape. Yes. There is an escape: doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. In every situation, the intent must be that the Father's will be done. Scales must be balanced, and the precise metrics are known above and are to be discovered below as we experience the coordination between the charioteer and his horsemen: we, ourselves, and those with whom we must interact..

In living sacrifice, it is understood that the reins of the intellect are to be surrendered to the charioteer, as is! Wisdom begins with recognition that the direction life is to take is not a matter for the human will to decide. As living sacrifices, reverence for God as the name יהוה reveals itself within the way stations of our earthly experiences.

We are to take no thought about what we should wear, where we should go, what we should do or say. We are to trust that those things will be supplied in the hour of need. This covenant between the soul and its maker is called the new covenant, but that is based on a misunderstanding of the covenants made with the people of the book. "You shall have no other Elohim before me," is not a command, nor was it ever a command. It is a comforting promise.