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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion February 20, 2008 ENABLED |
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Frontline Devotion for Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008 by Penny Risen
Exodus 17: 4-6
“Moses cried out in prayer to God, ‘What can I do with
these people? Any minute now they'll kill me!’
God said to Moses, ‘Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the
elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. I'm going
to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock.
Water will gush out of it and the people will drink.’
Moses did what God said, with the elders of Israel watching. He named the place
Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the
Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, ‘Is God here with
us, or not?’ "
The Message Bible
Although I don’t know the origin, it’s one of my favorite axioms of faith: “God do not only choose the enabled --- He enables the chosen.” If God places a difficult task before us, He either already knows we are up for the job, or He will be here with us and enable us to accomplish it. These gifts of unexpected strength and grace are a force to be reckoned with when we His servants call out in prayer to God.
God does this over and over with Moses in the Book of Genesis, in spite of Moses’ objections and excuses that he isn’t the most able or forceful of servants to deliver the Israelites to freedom. Throughout the Bible God answers prayers of those He calls as servants, enabling them to accomplish the unimaginable (as Moses gets water from a rock) or the seemingly impossible (as Jesus suffers for our sins, then rises as our Savior).
We all can point to those in history and literature, or to persons in our own lives, who triumph over adversity --- in spite of their failings or weaknesses. Their faith and convictions enable them to do things mere intellect or physical strength could not. God can enable us too in difficult or stressful times. Our Father can strengthen and guide, if only we seek it when we’re tested.
Consider the quirky spiritual strength of Adrian Monk, the unlikely hero of USA Network’s detective series “Monk,” now in its sixth season. Monk is called into law enforcement because of his orderly and extraordinary way of looking at life. But because he’s an investigator with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, his anxiety and phobias inhibit him from engaging life and everyday tasks the way most of us would.
When he must overcome his fears to “save the day” in each episode, Monk somehow draws on his sense of right, of justice and of duty. This spiritual strength enables him to leave his San Francisco apartment, confront criminals, face down snarling dogs, dodge bullets, scale heights, slosh through sewers, plow through trash, dash into burning buildings, chase airplanes down runways --- all things which normally petrify or repulse him. This crime-fighting character, played by actor Tony Shalhoub, is nothing like the brave and confident movie action heroes like James Bond or Indiana Jones. Instead, Monk’s a person like us --- who is enabled to do what’s good and what’s right by a higher calling.
We do know Moses and others reached out to God to enable them when chosen. We can’t directly attest to Adrian Monk’s faith life, but there are enough scenes sprinkled in the TV plot where he speaks to the spirit of his late wife Trudy, which show Monk reaches beyond himself for strength. Reaching out is a great first step, and as God reassures us in Genesis 17: “I'm going to be present before you there.”
Prayer for the day: Dear Lord, I know nothing is impossible for You. When called to do Your will and Your work, please enable me with voice to praise You and strength for the journey. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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