1 Samuel 10:1-11:15; John 6:43-71; Psalm 107:1-43; Proverbs 15:1-3
Some really profound words throughout our reading today,
moments of beauty and clarity and God's purposes triumphant.
Consider our Old Testament reading: "As Saul turned to
leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart" (I Sam. 10:9) and "the Spirit
of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying" (vs. 10). Saul is fundamentally altered by his encounter with God (in this
case, through his messenger, Samuel), and this change is demonstrated by his later
activities in worship and in warfare. The response of those who observe
Saul's prophesying clearly indicates that this is not a regular occurrence for Saul; he is
overflowing with the poured-out Holy Spirit (vs. 11-12). Though he hides
during the kingship selection (vs. 22), Saul later immediately reacts to a
threat to his people (11:6-7). No longer afraid, he assumes his
role as king and leads his people to victory. There's a clear
before-and-after distinction in Saul, a distinction that occurs because he has
met God.
Consider, too, our New Testament reading: "Lord, to
whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe
and know that you are the Holy One of God" (Jn. 6:68-69). What a
confession by Peter! No one else. No where else. No thing
else. Only Jesus. Jesus alone. He offers life. It can
be found in no other place and no other person (see also vs. 63). And
Peter both believes and knows this. In Greek, these two words are in the
perfect tense. For those of you who don't geek out on (or remember!)
grammar, the perfect tense "indicates that an action or circumstance
occurred earlier..., often focusing attention on the resulting state rather
than on the occurrence itself" (from Wikipedia encyclopedia).
Peter has believed, he has known that
Jesus is the Messiah, and this knowing and believing makes all the difference.
Because of this belief and knowledge, he could vow to continue as a
disciple. He, like Saul, has been changed by his encounters with God.
And, lastly, consider our psalm. I love this psalm
every time I read it. There's a recurring motif: people are in
desperation; God hears and responds; the restored people praise him.
Group after group are lost, suffering, alone, in need: "in desert
wastelands,...hungry and thirsty" (Ps. 107:4, 5); "in darkness and
the deepest gloom" (vs. 10); "fools through their rebellious ways and [suffering] affliction....[drawing] near the gates of death" (vs. 17);
"on the sea in ships,....[reeling] and [staggering] like drunken men"
(vs. 22). And in each case, they reach the point where no one but God
will be able to help them. They echo Peter's words: where else can they
go? God, so faithful, so responsive, reaches out to each group in their
specific predicament, bringing safety and wholeness and straightness and
hope. In each situation, though the outcome looks different, God
"[lifts] the needy out of their affliction" (vs. 41). God meets
them in their crisis, a provision which moves them to praise (see vs. 8, 15,
21, and 31) and the psalmist to exhort us to "consider the great love of
the Lord" (vs. 43). Each of these men and women are changed by their
encounter with God.
I'm thinking of various people in my life. They are in darkness
and deepest gloom; they hunger and thirst; they are suffering affliction; they
reel like drunken men under the weight of folly and depression and debt and the
brokenness of the world and their choices. Their situations, to my human
eyes, seem hopeless. But God is yet faithful! God is able.
God is ready and willing to respond; they need only to ask. They
must see that they have no where else to go. So that is what I pray for
them. That they would meet God and be changed - like Saul, like Peter,
like the characters in the psalm.
And that I would continue to meet God and continue to be
changed.
Amen and amen. Let it be.
- Sarah Marsh
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