Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent: Year 2
Morning, Psalms 121, 122, 123; Evening, Psalms 124, 125, 126;
Exodus 5:1 to 6:1; 1st Corinthians 14:20 to 33 and 39 to 40; Mark 9:42 to 50:
“Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me?” (Exodus 5:22)
Moses is caught between the rock and the hard place. His demanding of Pharaoh to release the people of Israel in order that they may go and worship God has caused Pharaoh to be even more severe with the Israelites. Now he will not provide for them the material for making the bricks but also holding the same expectation of quantity of bricks as before. Moses feels trapped.
God has not changed. Today God will engage us in activities that will inconvenience us and cost us time, and often money. But like with Moses, God will not abandon us. People who don’t know or can’t sense God in their lives will only hold you responsible for what is happening (or not happening). They don’t want to hear our “God-talk.” They want us to get out of their way. But we must endure no matter the costs.
I often tell people this is how we know a path is from God. First, it is inconvenient. Second, it takes us out of our comfort zone. Third, there is the issue of time and or money (often both). And fourth, the act is for the benefit of someone else, not you. Hey, God has not changed. Just ask Moses. God is unchangeable. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But know this, God will not abandon you.
And God is not abandoning Ukraine. However, God is commanding us who are outside of Ukraine to help them just as God asked Moses to go to the oppressed Israelites. Helping the Ukrainian people is inconvenient; out of our comfort zone; will probably cost us time and money; and it’s not about us, it’s for them, the people of Ukraine. Yep, it is definitely what God is asking of us.
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 