Carrying out God's Will

“If only you would heed the voice of the LORD, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes... it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.” Dt 30: 10,14

Moses' command to his people is clear. Examine your hearts and minds. God and God's law already reside there. We have only to attend to what has been planted in our hearts to know God more deeply and love God more completely.

Theologians often speak of conscience as the "still, small voice," within our hearts, but Moses' challenge is more extensive than this. While conscience can help us discern and decipher what God wants for us, Moses pushes us to act  and live with passion when we discover the God who dwells within us. Faith is not simply about making just and other centered choices that resonate with the voice within us. Faith is a commitment to rest in and rely on God everyday. Even more, faith demands that we let God seek and do with us what promotes God's ways and will for all.

Because we most often see only what is directly in front of us, we can easily err when trying to live a faith filled life.  When a friend is ill,  or people in the next town have been flooded out, or our children are struggling to stay in a difficult marriage, we pause and pray naturally, but God wants more of us. Only when we take time to fly at 30,000 ft can we begin to emerge from our own world, needs and family concerns, and think and pray more systemically with and for God. How, we ask, can we live in and help create a more just world? How can we adjust our life and life styles to be in solidarity with our sisters and brothers around the world?

Today, step back in prayer and listen to the cries and groans of people and the earth far from your home.

How can you become more aware of and responsive to the God who is already living within you and among us?