Living in the Spirit
September 11, 2017
Scripture Reading: Exodus 14:19-31
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night. –Exodus 14:19-20
There are times in all our lives when we are forced to rely on God totally. When the Israelites left Egypt was one such time. The angel led them out and then the pillar of cloud moved behind them to protect them from the Egyptian Army. Saint Patrick wrote the following prayer that is an apt description of the faithfulness of God.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
What we need to understand is this is true all the time not just when we are at a breaking point. In fact, we would many times avoid reaching our wit’s end, if we walked in faith with God continuously. God is not only an emergency call center. God wants us to live and move and have our being so that our lives are led by peace and love, being cognizant of how our actions impact our world and all that is in it.
Prayer: Lord, make us mindful of dialogue with you in every moment of our lives. Help us to Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Amen.