Living in the Spirit
September 6, 2022
Scripture Reading: Exodus 32:7-14
The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” ’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.’
But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, ‘O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, “It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth”? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.”’ And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. –Margaret Mead. I always think of the 12 Disciples when I read this quote, but according to the above scripture, God saw that Moses was a person who could change the world. The challenge is whether the group wants to change the world for good or bad. Hitler and his group of henchmen turned the world upside down. Putin seems to be trying to follow in his footsteps at least regarding war.
After being freed from slavery in Egypt and fed with manna in the wilderness. One would think the Israelites would have had a longer-term commitment to God’s power. They did not. They wanted a god that could wave a magic wand and address every need they had. Don’t we all? God did not create humans in God’s image to be totally dependent on him for our every wish. God wanted partners with whom God could share the world and in it the task of developing the beloved community. We should be grateful for the honor of serving such a loving God and join enthusiastically in serving God. Paul described the traits God provides us for facing each challenge we meet. We need to recognize and nurture these described in 1 Corinthians 12. They are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Practicing God’s gifts results in the fruit of the spirit named in Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Prayer: Forgive us when we turn from your ways to the world’s ways. Grant us the resilience we need to use your gifts to the benefit of all. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.