Psalm 78: 1-39
Jeremiah 7: 21-31
Romans 4: 13-25
John 7: 37-52
He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands. (Psalm 78:5-7, NIV)
But ... they didn’t. The faithful have a tendency to fail to fully trust in God. Throughout the centuries, God pours out his endless grace, but his deeds and his commandments are soon forgotten. Fear returns. In Jeremiah we hear God say, “From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.“ (Jere 7:25-26, NIV) Our listening skills didn’t improve even when Jesus was standing right there in front of us. In John, Jesus says to the crowd, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 37-38, NIV). But still, people do not put their trust in God. What more do we need?
God is ever patient with us. We cry out for help. We ask for guidance. We beg for forgiveness. And we receive grace time and time again. Then what? We neglect our relationship with God and return to a state of fear. Fear is a very powerful emotion and it can lead to all sorts of sinful, destructive behavior. This Lent, let’s practice following God’s commands and putting our trust in him. If we allow it, that “living water” flowing within us, a gift freely given by God, will drive out all fear.
Evelyn Snow