“Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and tell them: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said:
I am concerned about you." Ex 3:16
The words of Exodus are clear and comforting. God is concerned about us. To be concerned about someone can be interpreted in a wide variety of ways, but that God is aware of and responsive to our needs is not in question. God is involved in our world and alert to our journey.
Having another concerned about us can be troubling as well as gratifying. There are times in life when we are struggling to understand life as it unfolds and are anxious to do this on our own terms. When friends wonder aloud about us, we can be very defensive and resistive to their inquiries even though we know their concern is rooted in compassion and understanding.
On the other hand, it can be uplifting to know their is someone out there who wants to be of service to us, to help us along or remind us of our values and their love. A friend who offers us, in biblical terms, a glass of water when we are thirsty, can be exactly what we need when our spirits are cluttered with worries and darkness.
Exodus suggests that our reactions to God have elements of both responses. While we want someone to care about us, we don't want them meddling in our affairs, and when God becomes insistent that we slow down, listen and choose the path God has laid out for us, we can withdraw and shut down. Because we believe that our life belongs us, as if we earned it, we push God away and forego God's interventions. Exodus, however, reminds us that God cannot be and do otherwise. Whether we want God's help or not, God is there and God is concerned. Letting God be God is the key to a peaceful life.
Today, let God come close to you wherever you are.
In what areas of your life are you most resistive to God's concern?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be discreet in your comments. I will monitor the comments, and only exclude those that are patently offensive.