Living in the Spirit

July 28, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 51:1-12 or
Psalm 78:23-29

Yet he commanded the skies above,
   and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained down on them manna to eat,
   and gave them the grain of heaven.
Mortals ate of the bread of angels;
   he sent them food in abundance.
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,
   and by his power he led out the south wind;
he rained flesh upon them like dust,
   winged birds like the sand of the seas;
he let them fall within their camp,
   all around their dwellings.
And they ate and were well filled,
   for he gave them what they craved. –Psalm 78:23-29

Psalm 51 is one of my favorites, and I have included the essential part for me as the prayer below. Although I have read all the Psalms many times and participated in Psalms studies, I could not recall anything about Psalm 78, which made me decide I needed to focus on it today. How much of God’s grace and abundance do we take for granted? How much do we question whether we can depend on God’s love? How does taking God’s love as a given impact our relationships with others who do not seem to share in the bounty of God’s love?

Jesus taught us that we can take God’s love and grace for granted. My experience is that life becomes chaotic when we do not. Scared, tired, hungry, and unaccustomed to managing their own lives, the Israelites craved the basics—food and water—which God provided. These were the first baby steps of transitioning from slavery to becoming a great nation. The presence of God’s love was just as significant to King David as to those escaping slaves. Problems arise when we fall into the trap of forgetting that continuing our allegiance to God is as crucial in our prosperity as in slavery. We drift toward thinking that our abundance is our own making and that if others are not reaping the same harvest, it must be their fault.

We should never take God’s love or anyone’s love for granted just because we can. Always knowing God loves us gives us the courage to love ourselves and others as we strive to be a part of creating a world ruled by love.

Prayer:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing spirit*. Amen.

*Psalm 51:10-12

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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.