5-18-2025

Good Morning All,

         Exodus 24:17: “Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.”

    Why don’t we see this anymore?  Why don’t we see this miraculous display of God’s majesty?  When we think of the story that surrounds the plagues of Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the leading through the wilderness with the pillar of cloud and fire; when we think of the awe and majesty of God’s very presence at Mount Sinai we think, “now that is what God should be like.”  “I could believe in a God like that really easy.  I would never leave a God like that.”  “Just give me a God with thunderbolts and lightning and make Him very, very frightening to all my (His) enemies.”

   You would think that wouldn’t you?  It must have been so easy for those early Israelites to believe in God; they saw Him and the mighty works that He did. They saw the Egyptians drown in the Red Sea, They ate the manna, they experienced the water from the rocks; it should have been easy. Yet a mere 8 chapters later in Exodus, in chapter 32, while they are still camping at the bottom of Mt. Sinai, they fall away and worship a golden calf.  Too often, our pleas for God to do something, is really a call for God to do what I want, when I want and to whom I want it done.  Ultimately, we don’t want God to show His power so we can have faith; we want God to show His power so we can try and control God to do our will.  We are trying to trade places with God and place ourselves on His holy throne and rule all.  That is too often the “proof “we seek.

    We see this in the New Testament with Jesus as the crowds gather not to learn but to be entertained and fed. They wanted a show not a God. One wonders how many times the crowds attend church, not to be fed on God’s Word but to be entertained and to see the show. We know better, we confess better but if only God would throw a lightning bolt or a little thunder at the right time during the sermon for that “perfect” effect. That would show them, our God is an awesome God and with the snap of my fingers, I will show you.

     Fortunately, God knows better than all of us.  He acts in ways that are designed to reconcile back to Him with love and not total fear.  He doesn’t try to scare us into faith; rather He leads us back to Him with “a still, quiet voice” a voice that offers hope and comfort.  God’s majesty is all around; all we need to do is look.  God’s love is revealed to us in the empty tomb of Christ. There really is no more powerful message than that. Jesus died and rose again to give you life, the greatest gift of all! We should then respond to the world with love, as God did to us, and leave the “thunderbolts and lightning” to old rock songs.

God of power and might, we give you thanks for your great power, but we especially give you thanks for your great love.  Move us to share that love with one person today.  In the precious Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret