Scripture: Exodus 7:14
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.”
Thought for the Day: Criss Jami is an interesting musician and author. He wrote, “I often find that people confuse inner peace with some sense of insensibility whenever something goes wrong. In such cases inner peace is a permit for destruction: The unyielding optimist will pretend that the forest is not burning either because he is too lazy or too afraid to go and put the fire out.”
When Pharaoh was described as having an unyielding heart, it not only was in regard to Pharaoh’s inability to perceive the movement of God’s spirit, but also Pharaoh’s lack of compassion. If Pharaoh’s therapist had asked how he was feeling about life, I would guess his response would have showed absolutely no concern for the people who were enslaved by his authority. He might have gone as far as describing his spirit being at peace with the universe. It is a marvelous experience…unless your unyielding optimism is able to pretend that the forest is not burning when in fact the flames are approaching your doorstep.
Prayer: Provide me a spirit of peace, O Holy One of Grace, that calms my anxiety while remaining fully engaged in the realities of the world. I never want to be sipping a drink on the hammock of Christian contentment while my neighbor’s life is crumbling. Amen.
Don’t forget the workday tomorrow!
Dress casually for worship.
Even if it is raining,
we’ll try to find tasks.
