Exodus 34: 9 March 6, 2014

Alfred Shropshire          

Exodus 34: 9          

March 6, 2014 

And Moses said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

This request of Moses could have been spoken today if Moses were still alive.  Moses sets an example for all of us.  He wants for everyone what he shares with God.  Even today, with our set ways and firm ideas, we often remain a stiff-necked people as we interact with our family members, our friends, and our foes.  

Man’s inhumanity to man seems to be the lead stories on the evening news each day.  We forget what it means to be a Christian.  I don’t want to imply that perfection is necessary in order to be considered a “good” Christian.  In spite of our imperfection, we still have the opportunity to ask God for mercy and forgiveness for our overt and covert sins. 

Each Sunday during our “Prayer of Confession” we are reminded that our God is a loving, caring, and forgiving God.  We are invited to emulate Moses and ask for God’s pardon for our iniquity and sin, and through God’s grace be claimed as his heir.  But, this is not just a Sunday morning happening.  God’s grace and mercy should be foremost in our minds and heart, through words and actions, as we go about our daily lives as heirs of God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lord!  Have mercy!  Make me an instrument of they peace.  Amen.