[ Today's Readings ]
that it may go into battle among us
and save us from the grasp of our enemies.
We all have battles we fight. Are they the battles the LORD wants us to fight? Or are we deciding on our own and then bringing the ark of his presence along for the ride? Are we trying to sanctify our own plans with tacit acknowledge of his presence? Are we expecting the LORD to win battles which we didn't even ask if we ought to fight?
Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace,
and you go not forth with our armies.
You have let us be driven back by our foes;
those who hated us plundered us at will.
The LORD won't just put his stamp of approval on plans which we make without reference to him. What does this look like in our own lives? We decide on a specific thing which we ought to do which is good, yes, and loving. But do we discern whether this specific act is what the LORD wants us to do? Is this where he wants our effort? Is this how he wants us to go about it? We don't ask, we just do it, and then assume that we can count on him because it is after all a 'good thing' which we're trying to do. Probably we don't really think of the LORD at all until we fail. We question why we didn't seem to have the grace to do the act of charity we attempted.
We know that the LORD does will good things. But we can't just bring the ark along for the ride without discerning his will.
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
The LORD has all sorts of battles he wants to win in our lives. There is so much healing he wants to do. But we must come to him to find out just what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. When we start in his presence we do experience victory and healing.
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
If we do this it will be hard to keep silent about the goodness of our LORD Jesus. The Good News is actually really good! Imagine that! Let's kneel before Jesus and beg him for what we need. And then, rather than going off on our own, let us wait for the outstretched hand of God to touch us.
Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy.
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