Living in the Spirit
July 5, 2022
Scripture Reading:
Deuteronomy 30:9-14
and the Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, when you obey the Lord your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
The Hebrew word, yathar, translated above as abundantly prosperous literally means to remain over*–having more than enough. I regret the translator’s choice of the word abundantly prosperous, while technically it is correct, these words in our culture are most often related to financial riches. I do not think that is what is being described. Reading further in the scripture, we see that such abundance comes when we obey the Lord our God by observing God’s commandment, turning to the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our souls.
I saw on the news descriptions of Pride Week where a woman whose son shared with her that he was gay at first reacted very negatively based on her religious upbringing. It was not until she was able to love her son for who he was that she overcame her reaction to him. She went even further and started the group Free Mom Hugs – embracing. loving. empowering. She travels the country as do others giving out Mom hugs to persons in the LGBTQ community. That is an illustration of abundant love. Today, the news introduced a man who is now sharing Dad hugs since he lost his gay son in a car wreck in 2020.
We are commanded to love God and love one another. Are we sharing our abundance of love with others?
Prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life*. Amen
*Prayer of St. Francis
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.