Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
Exodus 24:12–18

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, “Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.” Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 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. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. (NRSV)

Reflection
In high school, I had a band director who said often “To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. And to be late is to be left.” I don’t believe we ever left anyone, but I learned to be early to things. I start to stress out if public transit is going to make me on time for something.

But despite my habitual early habits, I find I am not a big fan of waiting. If I end up waiting, I stress if I am in the right spot, do I have the right time and date? So as I read this passage, the waiting sticks out to me. I can almost hear Moses saying, “Do I have the right mountain?” “God, you know I have important disputes to be settling right now.”

But Moses waits on a cloudy mountain for six days, because things don’t always happen on our schedule. Sometimes we have to wait for things to come on God’s schedule.

Prayer
God, I pray for patience and understanding. Help me to listen and to wait and to trust in the good things to come. Amen.

Written by Katie Patterson, Youth Ministry Program Manager

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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