From:
Date: September 14, 2020
Subject: It's September 14; Good Morning Union
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” Exodus 14:13
Moses was leading the people out of Egypt and eventually back to the land promised them. They ran into a few “road blocks” along the way, like at this point in the story, the Red Sea in front and the rapidly approaching Egyptian army behind. God tells Moses to give the people two commands:
And the result will be that they will see the Lord’s deliverance.
Sometimes, as I look at all the sinfulness, the selfishness, the inequities, the injustices, and all the other evils in the world, I am tempted to try and fix them all with my abilities and my brilliant solutions. I wonder sometimes, in all my attempts to make this a better world and to right wrongs that are out there, if I’m not actually fighting a battle that first, cannot be won this side of heaven, and second that all my focusing on the problems of systemic sin distracts me from focusing on the only solution, and that’s Jesus. Sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't accomplish more if I learned how to respond to the inevitable evil as Jesus did rather than try and rid the world of evil which is God's job. He never called me to fix the problem of sin, He called me to rise above the sin and to love the sinner and offer a better way, found only in the Savior
I don’t expect those who have not found Jesus yet to respond like I wish they would because without Jesus about all they can do is to try and make this world better because that’s all they have to look forward to. I feel sad for them but I actually don’t blame them.
But God has called me to something much higher. This world is NOT my home, I’m just passin’ through. I will do what I can to treat everyone with Christian love but I won’t obsess about the evil; what else can I expect from a world, in the grasps of the devil, trying to solve the sin problem without the Savior. My calling as a Christian is higher. I can’t fix the world, but I can care for a world. I can’t eliminate poverty but I can feed the poor within my reach; I can remove hatred and inequity but I can be sure that I am not hateful toward anyone and that I do my best to treat everyone I come in contact with fairly and justly. This is my calling. Micah says I am called to do three things, “do justly (not try and fix injustice) to love mercy (not try and make everyone in the world merciful), and to walk humbly with my God (thus demonstrating His approach to confronting life’s wrongs.)
And the perk is that in doing so I can demonstrate a better way to deal with life. And I can offer that better way when others get frustrated enough with the evil in the world that they are either ready to give up, OR are ready to see a better solution. God told Moses to “not be afraid,” and to “stand firm,” and to focus on the Solution more than the problem SO THAT He can do what He does best. I can’t fix sin but I can love sinners and point them to the Savior.
Have a great day focusing on what is best,
Pastor Rich
Quote for the day: “A grudge is a heavy thing to carry; and anger and bitterness destroy the soul.”