Living in the Spirit
September 19, 2017
Scripture Reading: Exodus 16:2-15
Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, “Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.” ’ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” ’
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. –Exodus 16:9-15
Change is hard particularly when the change involves moving from an environment where all one’s decisions are prescribed for them as in slavery. It is human nature to adapt to the situation in which we find ourselves even a bad situation. I remember a foster child whose mother was seriously mentally ill telling me that he assumed all mothers talked to people who were not present and made their children hide from threats that were not real. While the food in Egypt might not have been adequate or good, it was dependable. God provided for the necessities of life while leading the Israelites in becoming self-sufficient and self-sustaining.
While we may not question from where our next meal will come, we live in a frustrating and fragmented world in which we must we work to mold it into Christ’s vision of a Kingdom ruled by love. We, too, may be forced to give up long cherished ways of being as we learn from diverse cultures. Paul knew this well as he traveled about Asia Minor debating issues that seem strange to us today but were very real at the time. Should Christians eat meat offered to idols? Must gentile men be circumcised to become Christian? Paul’s fall back response was to say he taught Christ crucified and ultimately that was what mattered. When we are getting bent out of shape over today’s issues, we should consider, does it pass the test of love? Christ was crucified because God loved us as we are to love one another.
Prayer: Lord, help us gain your perspective of issues that may go against our way of being but not yours. Help us learn to let you be God, and we be your vessels of love. Amen.