From Rubble to Renewal – February 24
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, Deut. 9:13-21; Heb. 3:12-19; John 2:23-3:15
Last night, the kids were running wild and chasing one another. There were screams of glee and hilarity, yet those noises were also indicators that someone would be crying very soon. They were tired and it was time to cool off before bedtime. Sam took control of the situation – and when I say “took control of the situation,” I mean that he grabbed the TV remote control. The kids settled down as Dad chose an episode of “Little House on the Prairie” in which Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash were guest stars. Johnny Cash’s character was a swindler, and his wife June was his partner in crime.
As often happened on “Little House,” coming to the town of Walnut Grove brought about change of heart and deeper connection with God’s goodness. Johnny impersonated a minister and collected goods for those in need, with plans to keep the ill-gotten gains for himself. Before he could head out of town with the loot, he had to be a pastor to people in hard times, including a little girl whose puppy died, yet she kept holding to hope for a miracle that the pup would come back to life. Johnny approached the little girl, with others watching, to convince her of God’s care for all creatures, including dogs. To build up her belief, he told a story from the Bible of lots of rain falling and then a man named Jonah built this big boat to hold lots of animals. The little girl interrupts and says, “Wait a minute!”
My daughter piped up on the sofa and said, “He said the wrong name! Doesn’t he mean Moses?” About that time, the little girl on the show said, “Don’t you mean Noah?” Johnny shiftily retorted that he was testing her knowledge, and of course he was talking about Noah… Meanwhile at our house, there was laughter and commentary around confusing the big names of the Bible. I remembered how I, too, had confused Jonah, Noah, and Moses.
Wrestling with belief is not a new story, is it? In today’s reading from Deuteronomy, Moses (not Noah or Jonah) has been on this multi-day prayer retreat with God that sounds very Lenten – fasting and praying for 40 days and 40 nights (it’s easy to see where Noah and Moses get confused with that parallel!). While on that mountaintop experience, God gave Moses the two tablets upon which held the words of the covenant spoken to God’s people and “written with the finger of God” (Deut. 9:10).
Aaron (Moses’ brother) and the Israelite people were impatient for a visceral interaction with the Lord – and so they turned to another local tribal god. What they did not know was that Moses was en route, carrying a tangible, tactile covenant in two tablets for them. Moses descended the fiery mountain of God’s presence and returned to his family and friends. He found them praying to an idol – the image of a calf – cast in a fire kindled by the people. What we read in Deuteronomy today is a revision of Exodus 32, which explains in many visual details the scene of chaos and heartache.
You get the gist – for the Israelites then, and for us in 2021. There is brokenness because of a lack of belief…a shattered covenant in rubble upon the ground. What is next? Moses shows us: repentance in order to move to renewal. We face our brokenness and those things that we fear most – being abandoned, forgotten, in pain, hungry, scared, alone.
In this Lenten season of prayer and self-discipline, whether we prostrate ourselves physically on the ground, kneel in prayer, or bow our heads before God’s grandeur, we can choose to spend time with our greatest fears and prayerfully turn them over to God. We can practice believing that God has a promise for rest and restoration – and that we are included in that covenant. And, as we are reminded in Hebrews 3:14, we get to encourage our siblings in faith as we struggle with belief. We are partners of Christ – not solo venturers. The Lord is a source of help for us…and let us use this time of Lent to soften our ears to hear and receive God’s voice, and soften our hearts to receive the grace poured upon us.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What is one of your big fears? How do you respond when this fear bubbles up? How easily can you see others’ fears in their responses?
Daily Challenge
Our fears become stumbling blocks in our faith in God. Pray for someone this day who has a looming or recurrent fear. Pray for their endurance – like Moses – of facing the brokenness and turning to God in prayer. Pray that they may feel the comforting hand of Jesus upon their head and the swirling courage of the Holy Spirit moving them toward a posture of confidence in God.