Deuteronomy 4:1-8: The Advantages of Fidelity
Monday, August 21, 2023
For what great nation is it that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call?
Last week we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is considered by most to be the first Apostle of Christ when she proclaimed the Magnificat which we hear in Luke 1:46-55. With the giving of her fiat, her statement to God that his will be done in her, the completion of the world’s salvation is assured.
For what great nation is it that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call?
We reflect on our willingness to believe that God accomplishes all that he promises and we realize that sometimes we have difficulty believing that God actually walks among us.
For what great nation is it that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call?
When we consider the message of this portion of Deuteronomy we also think about the enormity of all that is promised to us in the covenant, that we might be sisters and brothers in and of Christ.
For what great nation is it that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call?
Fidelity is a quality found infrequently in our society in which some of us change friends and intimacy as often as we change shoes. The fidelity we see in the young girl Mary is astounding when we consider the usual consequence of stoning to death for a girl who conceives without being married. The fidelity we hear about in the covenant entered into by Abraham, mediated by Moses, and brought to fruition through Mary is something too great and too wonderful to be believed and yet the benefits are so abundant to us that we cannot take in their enormity.
For what great nation is it that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call?
Calling on God is something that some of us do too seldom. God wants nothing more than to help, to heal, to transform and to keep the promises he has made. God accompanies us in our journey and rejoices when we ask for help, celebrates when we return home, and sings with joy when we remind others of how much we are loved by God.
For what great nation is it that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call?
God’s story is almost too wonderful to tell. It is certainly too wonderful to be believed and yet we are assured daily of God’s presence. Let us delight in the promise of great reward for fidelity.
For what great nation is it that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call?
Our God is a faithful and patient, forgiving and just God. Our God moves among us, keeping promises God makes. Our God awaits our call.
Adapted from a favorite written on August 15, 2010.
Image from: http://www.chapelofgrace.org.uk/faithfulness/
The Noontimes 