Of all people, why was Moses denied entrance into the promised land?  Wasn’t he the stalwart of Israel?  Hadn’t he found favor in God’s eyes?  Only he spoke “face to face” with God pleading for his nation’s fate.  It was a minor transgression; completely understandable.  In a moment of frustration and anger he took it upon himself to strike the rock producing water for his people.  But was it his people or God’s?  Did he show distrust, and disrespect, wondering if God would provide in His time?  God is unsearchable in his judgements.  We can ask finite questions in an attempt to understand, but God is above all.  God is right.  God is blameless.  So, we are merely left to ponder about something that we could never entirely appreciate.

               There is a story told in our culture which is revered.  Here, an individual of humble origins overcomes great adversity to achieve something truly magnificent.  This speaks to our deepest yearnings for validation.  It’s a metaphor for something that we all aspire to: total affirmation.  We want to achieve.  God puts that in us.  We want to stand out above the crowd.  We want to be vindicated.  Still, we must be careful that we don’t take credit for something that is really God’s doing.  Pride is a problem; a big problem on the cosmic scheme.  When we succeed, our minds are inclined to swim with thoughts of grander.  But what do we have that wasn’t given: drive, skill, strength, beauty, mental acuity, and talent?  The list goes on.  And we are at odds with God if we see ourselves better than we ought.  Truth be told, all glory is God’s.  People shouldn’t look at us and surmise that we are good.  Rather, it should be obvious that we merely have a good God!

               Does Moses’ request to see God’s glory seem audacious?  Imagine, a flawed human insisting that a perfect God acquiesce to his needs! Clarity is what he was asking for.  Afterall, he had been set in charge of delivering a doubt-filled group of grumblers and complainers out of Egypt and leading them to the distant promised land.  There were many obstacles for them just as there are multiple trials for us in our day to day lives.  The mundane settles in, dulling our senses, and our ever-changing environments bring new questions which we must deal with.  What is needed is an awe-inspiring vision, something that will last, something that sustains.  For Moses, he needed inspiration enough to overcome momentary doubt giving him vitality to persevere.

               “What are we doing out here in the desert?” Moses might have asked.  As is for everyone, he needed assurance that God was present in what might have seemed like random meandering.  Understandable, because we too need that vary affirmation.  So often we ask, “God, are you here?”  And this is where the story gets interesting.  For, as the conversation unfolds, we find God to be so gracious to Moses just as He is to us.  He gives what is needed, not because Moses deserved anything, but because God is compassionate and loving toward the human predicament.  And so, he gives just enough knowing that too much will overwhelm us.  And the lesson becomes how do we be thankful, and express gratitude, for our daily bread.

               Imagine the Israelites, how they had somehow forgotten the marvelous display of power on their behalf not so long ago.  There was the Passover, the parting of the sea, the mana from heaven, and Christ’s vary presence in the water that gushed forth from a rock.  How could they forget?  Why was there doubt?  Do they need to be treated to lavish abundance and easy success every moment of the day in order to stay on track?  God knows that the answer to this question is a resounding no.  Too much brings dissipation and complacency.  Too much develops attitudes of pride and self-entitlement. 

               What is the proper banquet attire for the end times?  One might consider, while presuming to prepare, virtues such as love, generosity, gentleness, and kindness.  A more serious person might insist on demeanors such as fear of the Lord, faithfulness, and reverence.  Gratitude could be included as a disposition to commend.  And there might be a sneaking suspicion that earnestness, sincerity, obedience, devotion, and receptive thankfulness are required.  Why do we ask?  It’s important, because we can take steps now, in this time of preparation, to consider, adjust, and respond.

               Of course, God wants a transformation in us to occur.  This attire is not a façade hiding deeper tendencies which we might prefer to ignore.  The clothes are what we are, or what we might become.  In the end, it is the settled attitude of our souls, hearts, and spirits.  God wants for us to experience joy now, which we can carry on into eternity.  He wants us to experience peace and wellbeing which becomes the hallmark of the citizens of heaven.

               Ultimately, the garment is sewn together with a tenacity that begets perseverance.  As we wait in this world with all of its distractions, we need to ever seek the Lord, and stand firm.  As an anti-thesis, Israel’s groping for anything at the base of Mount Horeb during an extended period of Moses’, and God’s, absence serves as an example of what not to do.  It is amazing how “God’s people” so quickly forgot the mighty miracles of their deliverance and sustenance.  They forgot how pervasive and powerful God’s presence had been.  Much like us today, they yearned for something immediate and tangible.  So, in that moment of testing they were easily enticed by superficiality creating for themselves another object of motivation. 

               A gracious Father gives instruction for how to succeed in a world full of distractions.  He yearns for our betterment and wants us to thrive.  With a love that is infinitely pure he guides us into good things.  These instructions are not arbitrary, but wholesome in bringing about joy, vitality, a sense of wellbeing and belonging, and purpose.  In their virtuous intent they are more valuable than much gold.  They are sweeter than honey.  And for those who meditate on them, who make them the core of application, they make wise the simple.  They are perfect in their transforming power.  They restore the soul.

               This gracious Father didn’t stop there in giving, but sent His own Son to show how it’s done and teach the law’s deeper meaning.  Moreover, thru the Holy Spirit He gives power to see and choose rightly, supplying people with all that they need to develop into the kinds of individuals capable of glorifying the source.  At our best, we long to better know Christ and share in His heavenly call, to experience His healing as we are encouraged toward renewal even if it comes thru trial.  And we find, in the doing, that it is not as much a matter of adhering grudgingly, the way we sometimes do, as if success proves or earns something, but it’s about true change deep in the heart, a sort of paradigm shift, which ultimately reveals God’s goodness.   

               None of us has mastered it so fully that we can sit on our laurels and stop trying.  Aware of this, we make it our goal to continue on this rewarding journey, never yielding to complacency and dissipation.  It’s a heavenly call, to grow buds and bloom, which starts here on earth ever overflowing upward to eternity. 

               Self-examination is a very personal thing.  As I write these words, I wonder what attitudes lurk deep within the recesses of my mind.  What justifications remain at the core of my being influencing what I perceive, and how I interact?  It’s a matter of how I feel inwardly, what my self-perception is and what I want it to be, and how my relationship with God is affected.  Am I capable of seeing myself accurately?  As a member of the majority experience, can I sacrifice comfort and ease by placing myself under a microscope to better serve others?  Can I still grow?  It’s a difficult endeavor which requires my best.  The ability to see clearly and respond astutely sometimes alludes even good intentions, so I must be brutally honest about development before improving from this point forward. 

               History teaches us how monumental of a task this is.  Entire generations at their very best still either supported or condoned slavery not so long ago.  Here, culture had its sway, that mystical influence that pervades tendencies and attitudes, blinding people from the harsh reality of their actions.  Also, a bit later, half of the population subjugated the other half in a display of irresponsible power intent on gratification of prerogatives simply because that’s the way it had always been done.  Oh, the lies we allow ourselves to believe.  Is this, OK?  Of course, not.  Still, there are racist and misogynistic attitudes that exist today.  Ask yourself, how do you perceive the minority, the alien, the stranger?  Be honest.  Do you anger and dishonor God while denying that someday your soul will be revealed?

               We humans have a tendency to complain.  Sometimes it’s about big things, sometimes small.  Sometimes it seems justified, sometimes not.  It interferes with our peace.  It comes from an inaccurate perception of what we need to be happy.  Strange, how the distance that separates contentment from coveting is razor thin, but the experiential effects are vastly different.

               We measure life by progress.  We set arbitrary goals, then are downcast when things don’t go our way.  We have an ideal vision about what we want, then feel frustrated and dejected when circumstances don’t meet our expectations.  We compare and covet.  We envy and want more.  Are we ever satisfied?  Can the human experience be more than gripping and grasping for something that isn’t really ours in the first place, yearning for a place that we haven’t yet been, imagining that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, discarding blessings because they don’t quite meet the measure of our insatiable desires.

               The bible gives perspectives that help us out in this quandary, if we would only accept correction.  For instance, it insists that life is precious, something to be protected and valued.  Consider, had there been an infinitesimal variance in experience the night you were conceived, a delayed meal, a missed stoplight, a prolonged conversation, you would not be here right now.  Yet, that miraculous moment of infusion was guarded by God, the One who ordained your existence and set your course at that split second.

               We are not to argue over opinions no matter how strong they are; even in matters of individual conviction.  Each person stands unto themselves, for it is God who will uphold them by the power of the cross.  We are not to judge.  And we must forgive from the heart.  These are principles to grow into.  The rule is meant to bring inner transformation.  It is not as much about outer adherence as it is about love, contentment, and peace; all inner dispositions which help us thrive.

               You might say in a world of practicality, “these rules are costing me, I’m being taken advantage of, I have to defend myself.”  Like the Israelites in response to the pursuit of Pharaoh’s army, and the enormous obstacle of the Red Sea, one is inclined to wonder, “have you, God, brought me out here to die; are there not enough graves where I started this journey that you have to bring me to the point of this particular destruction; how can I survive upholding these commands?”  God’s answer, to them and to you, is for you to stand firm and witness his transforming power.  It’s not about boarders or possessions or perspectives or even rights.  It’s about the condition of the precious heart; something that needs to be malleable to God’s urging, something that learns through trust that his way is best.

               There I was being carried along by culture, merely reacting to my experience, wallowing in my self-centered perspectives.  I had baggage, things that I had done.  And there were the hurts from the people around me who were also simply victims of their own impulses, acting out on me their pain and frustration.  I was forty years old, and becoming a grumpy old man.  I hated the lines at the grocery store and gas station.  I was impatient in traffic, always going somewhere yet never quite getting to that place of peace and contentment that I so desperately needed.  Without the blood of Christ on my doorposts I was being passed over by joy and blessings.

               The great Deliverer acts in mysterious ways.  He brings you to a point of desperation, then fills your need with hope.  Hope is the springboard, the start of something better.  Here, through commitment, you have to allow God to have his way in your life.  A new day is dawning where, through Christ, sense is made of your past and insight is given as to how you got here, and what next is needed to thrive as you move forward.  Love is at the center, Gods love for you, and you growing in ability to feel true affection for others.  This is joy: to be brought to the center.  In this is purpose.

               “Here I am.”  What an innocent willingness.  Young Samuel also uttered these words when confronted by God (1 Samuel 3: 4).  Abraham was of the same heart (Genesis 22: 1).  We should be so willing.  We should write these words on a card and place them on our mirror so that the first thing we see in the morning is an attitude that is receptive to God.

               Oh, the delight; to be open to whatever wonders God has in store.  Put aside your agenda, your list of duties, and just listen and respond.  Deny the impulse to accommodate self.  Lay aside all perceived purgatives and simply follow.  The cross we bare might not seem so heavy.  In fact, it might be a joy.  To love genuinely, show honor and respect, rejoice in hope, be patient, to persevere in prayer, to give generously, to show hospitality, is as much of a blessing as it is a command (Romans 12: 9-13).  Strange, how when we forsake self-interest, life abounds!  Conversely, when we grasp at this world’s distractions, and our own ideas about self-fulfillment, we experience a kind of inner barrenness, a spiritual death for sure.

               Moses’ response to God’s plan was “who am I” (Exodus 3: 11)?  Aware of our flaws, our shortcomings, our limitations, we all feel this way.  You might wonder, does my witness matter?  Does my perspective count for anything?  Do I have something different to add to the fray of opinions?  What can God possibly do with my experience?  But remember, God chooses the humble and weak to shame the proud.  God uses the simple to confound the wise.  “Christ crucified” is the mysterious message; “a stumbling block to (skeptics) and foolishness to (the learned)” (1 Corinthians 1: 23).

               “Be transformed!”  What a wonderful appeal.  To take what lacks energy and bring power and vitality; that is what we need.  It is humbling to think that we cannot do it apart from Christ.  But we can meditate on the word, commandeer a new perspective, and gain truth and insight.  Then we will proceed without doubt.  Then we will succeed.  Then we will be able to discern God’s will for our lives.

               It is not because we are particularly good that God loves us.  Our behavior isn’t better than the rest.  Anyone who has tried to live up to the Sermon on the Mount has felt failure and frustration.  Most people want to be good, want to get along in peace and harmony.  This does not separate us from the rest.  But in desperation, we have called out to God, and the promise is that we will be delivered.  So, it is God who is compassionate, who is tender and kind, who pities us in our floundering, who has made a way.  It’s a mystery that alludes reason; so simple, yet inconceivable.  To accept our creaturely state, to admit we have flaws, to understand the condition of all humanity, and simply submit; this is the balm that sooths.  God is great!  We are dependent.  This confession brings joy and peace.  Oh God, how unsearchable are your ways!

               Joseph had somehow maintained a soft heart.  Even after all that he had been through, he still loved and felt affection for his brothers.  Upon seeing them he was kind and gracious.  His heart wept not only because of the release of vindication, but because he had longed for his family all those many years.  It is remarkable how God had formed him, how he had given impetus, direction, perseverance, and above all, hope.  Now all was well.  The fulfillment of the promise was emotionally overwhelming.  He cried and hugged Benjamin. 

               So often our experiences in a troubled world jade us and make us calloused.  For some reason, most people do not have the necessary vision which keeps us tender.  People hurt us.  And when it happens enough, we turn our backs on those people that God has put into our lives.  It hurts to be disappointed.  And we take this out on those who surround us by being distant and cold, not knowing that, by doing so, we ultimately hurt ourselves.

As we strive to grow in our faith amidst a world of trouble, as God forms us into mature Christians from which we better reflect His goodness, maybe it would be salubrious to consider the implications of the story of Joseph.  As opposed to some philosophies that are founded on the principle of avoiding suffering, Christianity embraces suffering as a necessary step toward wholeness and healing.  We must remember that Christ suffered first as an example and consider ourselves as followers willing to respond in like fashion for the betterment of others.  Afterall, it’s not only about us, but about the development of a community where people share responsibilities as we work toward a respectful and just environment where peace abides.  If you are suffering today, take heart: it is going somewhere good.  God is leading you to a spacious place where you can breathe in the surrounding beauty and marvel at how He has blessed you abundantly.

               The story of Joseph is rooted in the ancestral line of Abraham, a man who never waivered in his faith despite circumstances, who believed in a God who could bring something out of nothing, who walked by faith rather than site.  Joseph must have internalized this posture, this attitude, and taken it on as his own.  God then planted a bud of hope in his heart through a dream where honor was promised and direction was set.  God, knowing how the brothers would respond, started things in motion.  Through their evil good would come.  Out of the crucible of trial, blessings would prevail and the line of Abraham would be provided for, sustained, and propelled forward.

               Maybe Jacob felt regret.  Maybe he cringed in the night as he viewed his past through the lens of contrition.  Many times, he had not acted in an above-board manor.  Among these instances, he had leveraged Esau’s birthright and even commandeered his blessing.  Moreover, his questionable behavior was not confined to the distant past.  In an interplay of wits and cunning, while living by the world’s standards, he had swindled his future father-in-law, Labon, out of a wealth of riches, only to move callously on.  He often got what he wanted, but at the expense of a bad conscience and, now, a confrontation with his estranged brother.  Consequences loomed large in the still of the night.  Jacob was beside himself, clinging to futile acts of desperation in an attempt to protect his family.

               Have you been there?  Funny, how our giants tower above us in the solitude after midnight.  We lie awake in bed, tossing and turning, maybe sweating a bit, imagining the worst.  Here, we meet God.  Humbled by impotence, filled with remorse, we confess our dependence.  We pray that the judge is merciful.  We are helpless.

               As fledgling Christians, we aren’t much good.  Sure, we want to be better.  Our superficial gestures attest to that.  But what about something deep and eternal, something substantial and real.  If you are just going through the motions, be encouraged.  Don’t give up.  Learn from your God given experiences.  Be malleable by casting off fear, doubt, and shame.  Be humble and respectful.  Be kind and full of grace.  Then cherish love which presents itself as affection.  And grow into it.

               Understand that God intends personal transformation for you.  He has given you the desire that comes from faith.  He instills in all of us the ability to learn.  He knows your strengths and weaknesses and builds from that.  God sets us up to succeed.  He wins our victories and uses setbacks as springboards to something better.  That is how Paul can affirm that in all things God works to the good for those who believe (Romans 8: 28).  He shares our joy when it is centered on him.  And when times are tough, he interprets our groanings.  The Holy Spirit pleas for us.  And Jesus intercedes for us.  We have everything we need to come out on top. 

               Protected, tenderly nurtured, provided for, and sustained; God is above all!  He searches you and knows your tendencies, strengths and weaknesses, and deep-seated motivations.  He knows your thoughts.  He knows everything that led to this moment, and he knows how you will respond.  He is well acquainted with your perceptions, your presuppositions, and your experiences.  All that makes you who you are is in his hands.  He has been molding you, fine-tuning you for success.  He earnestly cares for you, and is making a way.

               You are held by the promise.  And the promise will come to fruition; not by you, but by God’s mighty strength.  God is true to his word, not for you alone, but for his namesake.  He is glorified by his character, something we learn to be familiar with, something that simply is because it is, and we reside in awe and appreciation of his splendor.  The great “I Am” stands before us, the faithful one who causes and creates.

               Is the condition of the soil prescriptive or descriptive, “ought” or “is?”  Is it an imperative?  Certainly, we are responsible for cultivation.  We need to self-examine.  We are responsible for obedience.  We have some part in molding our perspectives and finding truth.  Still, God is above all.  Had he not set us free from our settled views, our learned demeanor, our attitude and tendencies, we would be lost.  It’s a bit of a miracle how we found our way to Christ.  Once there, we can take this parable as an incentive to stay on track.

               We have already avoided the condition of the seed on the path.  By evidence of our faith, we have passed the first hurtle.  We can only feel bad for people whose perspective closes that door.  Still, we live lives of hope knowing God can create something out of nothing.  By walking according to the spirit, we have joy and vitality.  We have compassion and grace.  Maybe our flowering heads, our fruit, will draw some lost souls to the realization that they want to be, at the very least, open to this attractive dimension.  Waiting, we abide with awe and humility.

               I do not think Paul, here, is admitting that sin runs rampant in his life.  I also do not think that he is shirking responsibility.  Rather, he is observing astutely the obsessive- compulsive nature of sin.  For sure, we have a conscience which is in agreement with God’s will.  We can reason clearly in our good moments for the better alternative, in any given situation.  But our emotions tend to obscure things with their own insistences and motivations. 

               Emotions are important.  When in line with God’s will they drive us to the good and they affirm the finer points of life.  For instance, when we have a sense of peace and wellbeing, joy through humility, we clearly see that God is good.  We know that love and harmony are preferred because the experience that they engender is emotionally satisfying.  The trouble comes when we are locked into the “ought to” perspective of the law which separates us from the fountain of life and causes a sort of compulsion.  Here, the “shouldn’t” gains momentum and draws to itself an emotional attraction creating a tendency to act on impulse.  Fear of making a mistake intensifies the experience, and we find in our members a battle of sorts causing anxiety and discord.  In a sense, we have a divided mind, and in such a state we cannot conceive a positive outcome or expect anything good.

               Fear, doubt, shame, anger, desire, envy, and greed; these are powerful emotions which impel us to act in regretful ways.  They bind us and back us into a corner from which we feel compelled to react.  They defy reason, welling up from deep within causing a reflex of sorts.  If we allow, they become the biggest part of us, as if we are their slaves, as if we do not have the ability to choose a better course.  Emanating out of our deeply seated personalities, they are conditions to a multifaceted dilemma.

               We see the result of acting on impulse best in others; those unattractive behaviors which repel.    We say things like “what were they thinking?” because from the outward standpoint of emotionless reason the consequence is obvious.  But we are not emotionless, hence we too react sometimes in equally harmful ways. This interplay weaves the fabric of life and can become the foundation of relationship.  It is “the” struggle that we humans are commonly engaged in, almost without thinking.  It embodies the core of our trials, causing us to wonder, in our better moments, how things could be if everyone simply took a time out while considering the “other,” and reflect calmly on the equitable best alternative. 

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all counted.  So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

               Like Hagar and her son Ishmael in the wilderness without water, do you feel distant from the main story, like a secondary character who is discarded by whim?  Does God seem distant leaving you to chase after the rationales of your own imagination?  Do you feel abandoned, living by the world’s standards under your own power?  Do God’s promises seem far off instilling a sense of isolation?

               You matter.  What you do matters.  Your individual story as a witness to Christ Jesus matters.  You are unique: special in God’s eyes.  Like Hagar and Ishmael, as long as you have a name, you are protected by God’s benevolence.  Only you can reach those brought to you by providence.  You are loved and valued.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

               We would be lost had God not revealed himself in Christ Jesus.  We would be floundering, groping around in the dark.  Christ looks upon our helplessness as we pursue joy and a sense of wellbeing and has compassion.  Only he knows the way and the truth and the life.  It is not intuitive to us.  We are inclined toward legalistic efforts which only produce pride, judgement, and disunity.  Jesus loves us, and wants better for us.  His love is tender, gentle, and gracious.  He intimates ever so earnestly a better way.