New Year. New Beginnings.

And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: you have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. Now, therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you should be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth, his mind, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

(Exodus 19: 3-6)

By this point in the history of the children of Israel, God has shown himself to be both their wise master and their faithful servant. He had delivered them from the Egyptian army, as is described here in the beautiful phrase “on eagles wings.“ It was as if they were soaring above the Earth.

But God had more in store for his people than simply delivering them from danger. He was calling them to keep their part of the covenant that he had made with him. That covenant was to put God first before everything else, to worship and obey his commands.

God was calling Israel to be a special people, to become “a kingdom of  priests, and a holy nation.“

We know the sad history of the failure of the children of Israel. They did not live up to their covenant with God. Countless times throughout the Old Testament, that nation failed in its obedience and its duties. Countless times, God rescued them from danger and delivered them back to a place where they could, in fact, be a nation of priests.

What is God’s calling for us today? What is his vision for us as individuals or as his church? Are the “eagles wings“ with which he bore the children of Israel still available to us?

These questions need our constant and consistent attention. Listening for God’s call and putting him first is the first step of keeping the covenant that God has promised to us all.

Prayer

Dear God, Help us to be ready to respond to your call. Help us to listen carefully and with discerning ears to the still small voice of your grace. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.