When I read the words..., July 2025
“And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount…” (Exodus 23:1), I knew I was supposed to write about it… Not that I want to be writing about problems. Any parent knows that when children detect a sense of delay, there is going to be trouble sometimes and yes, even double-trouble; but this may be part of what is happening these days.
Exodus chapter 23 has so many lessons and so many warnings for the following generations. Look at the situation just before the children of Israel entered the promised land 40 years later. Moses was busy and quietly in came the women of Moab, inviting men to party where there will be drinking, dancing, and bowing to strange gods. Yep, more rising up “to play.”
Now, come down to the present time we are living in. It seems that Jesus has delayed His coming. Yes, He is “not willing that any should perish…” (2 Peter 3:9), yet He may also be testing us to see whether we will choose to remain faithful to Him or just relax a little on this or that. Ease up on the morning devotion or a number of other things. Eroding here a little and there a little. (Before I continue, I must confess that I have done this too. I am not the Pillar of Innocence!)
It is time to take a reality check! This is not the time to be drawn away from the One who has been faithful! At some point, all are in need of truth and encouragement to turn toward what God would want us to do in all arenas of our lives. The natural disasters and world events are happening more rapidly. We are ever closer to the coming of Jesus and many don’t know that!
God has called you and me out of darkness and into light… the light of the love of Jesus. In that light, being different from the world and from other churches is what happens. When I enter our parking lot, I am on sacred ground. When I enter the front door of the church, I am leaving the world and coming in to fellowship with the Lord and all of you. Many a time over many years, coming to church has been an oasis from the oppressiveness of the world and the challenging people in my life… especially those closest to me sometimes. Sabbath is also an oasis from the pressure and worries of this life. I’m not interested in going back in any way to life as it was before my baptism.
We have a precious gift in all of this (and more) that some outside of our church are hoping to hear… yet it may not be the words we say but the kindness and respect for people we may not fully understand. The love extended to even what we may think is a tough person to reach, may melt a heart and kindle a curiosity that a bunch of Bible verses or a convincing argument or a long prayer may never accomplish. God has called you and me to go out and bless the communities where we live and the community of Shoreline, where our church is. The true blessing is blessing others. Go out and invite them to a loving relationship with Jesus who has been faithful and set everything aside to bring us to a life beyond comprehension! MB