Exodus 4:1-9
So that they may believe (v. 5).
I marvel at those biblical stories that include physical signs from God. I’d love to see one of those in my life! Faith without signs can be so difficult. Wouldn’t our belief be stronger with some irrefutable proof?
Proof seems essential everywhere else in our society. Scientists certainly can’t show their findings without lots of it. You can’t enter a courtroom and convict the guilty without proof. Insurance companies require it to assign blame in accident cases. Everything in the world runs on proof, except faith. No wonder humanity has struggled with faith for so long. But running the world only on the basis of what can be seen and counted comes at a cost. Limiting life to the already visible and verifiable fails to account for the ways God inspires and nurtures brave imagination in people of faith. Human wellbeing and new possibilities are often dismissed in favor of the facts and what already is.
Moses got not just one, but three physical signs to use against the Egyptians in case his words failed him. It was perfect ammunition to combat a system of proof and a society whose desire for productivity was never satisfied and never adequately concerned with human wellbeing.
Part of our faith journey is stepping back from the need for proof and instead living for the liberation of belief. The Egyptians were unable to step out of that cycle, and it came at a cost. Walking through the world as we practice our faith is tough. But if we stay on that path, it leads to a rewarding freedom.
Consider
What parts of your life dictated by facts do you wish were shaped by faith? How could you begin to change those aspects?
Pray
God of Moses and the Israelites, help me to step back from the world of proof I live in. Help me see your priorities for this world instead of my own. Amen.