Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, and Romans 5:1-11
It is a time when thoughts of peace are desperately needed. Every time I hear world news, it keeps me from feeling at ease. I just pray that the wars end as soon as possible.
What are some things that disturb peace in modern life? Financial instability, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, concerns about parents or children, health, etc. If you look for them, there will be countless. On the contrary, I think about the elements that create peace: church members, prayer, God, sanctuary, home, food, and so on. When I think about it, I often find many reasons to be grateful.
In the story of Exodus, the Israelites, following Moses, complain because they have no water. When anyone is thirsty, it is easy to complain and lose peace. But God closely observes the thoughts of these Israelites. This is verse 7. “And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
They doubted God and tested the Creator. “Is the Lord among us or not?” Those who abide in God’s Word make different choices in times of discomfort. Those who trust in God are wary of letting discomfort turn into complaints. Everyone walked through the wilderness under the same conditions. It was not an easy journey for Moses, either. Of course, he did protest and complain to God in some cases, but fundamentally, he trusted God. He obeyed the command to strike the rock of Mount Horeb with his staff. It is strange to strike a rock with a stick, but it is not reasonable to say that water will come out of it. This is an unscientific expression.
Let’s imagine I was given a revelation that if I went out into the field and struck the ground with my staff, oil would come out. Do you believe this? You and I both think this is absolutely absurd.
However, Moses believed God’s word and experienced God’s grace and peace. The Creator gave him. Dear friends, how wonderful it would be if, like Moses, we too could hear God’s voice every time we pray. But we know this is difficult. So, we understand God’s will through the Bible and live by faith. When we read the book of Romans, we realize that Paul explains that we can find peace through Jesus Christ. By faith, we can receive grace and hope and enjoy the glory of God. When we hold this belief, we are justified. We have peace with God. Why is that? Because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
As Christians, we can sing of hope even in times of suffering. Even in times of crisis, we can seek God’s wisdom and hope for His plan to be fulfilled through us. Why is this so? Because the passionate and boundless love of Jesus Christ, who loved sinners so much that he gave himself up on the cross, is within us today. We have now received reconciliation through Jesus. I hope that during this Lenten season, we will enjoy reconciliation and peace and strive to live for them. Amen.