Living in the Spirit
August 24, 2016

Scripture Reading: Psalm 81:1, 10-16

I am the Lord your God,
   who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
   Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.  

‘But my people did not listen to my voice;
   Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
   to follow their own counsels.
O that my people would listen to me,
   that Israel would walk in my ways! –Psalm 81:10-13

I suppose, in the final analysis, we all follow our own counsel. We choose whether we will follow God or not. It is hard to hear God’s still, small voice when we live in a cacophony of noise often joining in the hubbub ourselves. I feed on the news most of the time but more and more I do not know who I can trust and get frustrated at the media’s need to harp and harp on the same stale stories while failing to ask the questions that need answering.

Years ago while swimming with friends, someone pushed me off the side of the pool into the deep end. Caught off guard, I flailed frantically with my arms until someone grasped my hand and pulled me to the edge of the pool only inches away. I sense our society is flailing about in that same fear of loss of control when the one who can save us has been there all along.

The history of God’s creating, rescuing, challenging, and loving is as old as time. We would do well to remind ourselves of that in the midst of the chaos of life.

Prayer: Lord, you did give us ears to hear, grant us the discernment to listen for your voice and heed what you tell us. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.