Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Good News to All
Vijitha Raju
St. John's MTC, NY
5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go
on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in
your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there
in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out
of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders
of Israel.
This passage from Exodus shows us how Moses led his people through another major challenge. Moses, holding on to the staff was amidst the angry crowd who were at a place with no water. Though this brief moment of fear overpowered him, his obedience and his abundant confidence in the Lord made him yet again victorious in front of the multitude that included other leaders and elders. This event was later celebrated by Israel’s hymn writers and prophets Psalms 78:15-16,20;105:41;114:8).
Don’t you and I relate to this kind of situation almost every day in our lives? No matter what role we are destined to play, be it with family, friends, work...we all do face obstacles, challenges and sometimes we almost give up. At the same time if we humble ourselves and simply ask God to help us, we can see things changing in our lives gradually. To our surprise the more impossible we think it is, so easily does the Lord make it happen for us. For you and me or even Moses most assuredly, striking the rocky crag to bring water for the multitude would seem impossible or even insensible. That’s exactly where Lord wants us to count on him for.
Pope Francis beautifully quotes it as “If one has the answers to all the questions - that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble.”
This passage from Exodus shows us how Moses led his people through another major challenge. Moses, holding on to the staff was amidst the angry crowd who were at a place with no water. Though this brief moment of fear overpowered him, his obedience and his abundant confidence in the Lord made him yet again victorious in front of the multitude that included other leaders and elders. This event was later celebrated by Israel’s hymn writers and prophets Psalms 78:15-16,20;105:41;114:8).
Don’t you and I relate to this kind of situation almost every day in our lives? No matter what role we are destined to play, be it with family, friends, work...we all do face obstacles, challenges and sometimes we almost give up. At the same time if we humble ourselves and simply ask God to help us, we can see things changing in our lives gradually. To our surprise the more impossible we think it is, so easily does the Lord make it happen for us. For you and me or even Moses most assuredly, striking the rocky crag to bring water for the multitude would seem impossible or even insensible. That’s exactly where Lord wants us to count on him for.
Pope Francis beautifully quotes it as “If one has the answers to all the questions - that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble.”
PRAYER
Loving Father, help each
of us to abide in you and keep our faith in you, grow stronger in both the good
and the bad times, by doing so set an example of your greatness through us for
those who want to seek you. Amen.
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
“Hard times are inevitable leaving us close to giving up, blessed are those who confide in the Lord, who could even bring streams of water out of a rocky crag which seems to us as impossible.”
“Hard times are inevitable leaving us close to giving up, blessed are those who confide in the Lord, who could even bring streams of water out of a rocky crag which seems to us as impossible.”