The Pause of God

Standing on the edge of a long awaited Promised Land, the words of Moses rang out, "Hear, O Israel. . . "  A new generation of people born from former slaves had only known life in a wilderness, living on manna and witnessing the presence of God with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  Life had not been easy those 40 years, it was truly a test of survival.  Yet even their clothing had not worn out, nor did they evidence any marks of near starvation.  Miraculously, they lived and though tiny in number, their reputation of their God made surrounding nations fear them.  But like us, they too often grumbled and complained about their life situations, and tried to take matters into their own hands and ways, thinking God had forgotten them or rather that they knew better.  For times like that, Moses stood in the gap between them and God, and intervened on their behalf, reminding God of His great love and compassion for this very people . . . and God paused.

"Let Me Alone," begins Deuteronomy 9:14. as God reminds Moses of a stubborn people that seemed to easily forget past days of rescue from Egypt and would instead make their own gods to follow.  Into that pause, Moses pleads entering God's pain with his created beings rejecting His love and grace. . . 

Here I am day #129 cancer survivor.  I am back to work now for about 3 weeks.  I am beginning to feel again a sense of normalcy to life and a joy of being a Nurse Practitioner. But each day I am keenly reminded of those who have interceded for my life.  My patients have reminded me of that as they have welcomed me back with hugs, flowers and one even reminding me that the rosary that she had given to me was "mine to keep" and that it been blessed at least twice by a special German priest.  Text messages, emails and phone calls have still been coming, reminding me of continued prayers upon my behalf.  Even last Sunday, at the close of the church service, a very kind woman behind me, offered to pray for me that very day, seemingly "out of the blue."  I am often overwhelmed, my tears fall so easily. . .

I have thought that I was the intercessor, and perhaps I have been.  But now I realize the privilege of entering the pause of God.  When I struggle with things I cannot control, when things seem to go terribly wrong, when I can't make sense of situations, or when I feel so hurt and all alone, God is there.  When my prayers seem to be unanswered, they are not unheard.  God is intimately involved, I have just had the opportunity to participate in His love and pain, as He too laments those who suffer or reject Him.  His love is so unfathomable that He is willing to give more days of grace and mercy, even in spite of ourselves. . . 

"God not only allows human intercession, 
God invites it and builds it into the decision-making processes of the heavenly council in ways we can never fathom. . . 
Intercessory prayer, then, flows primarily not from human anxiety about God 
but from God's commitment to relationship with human beings."

 (Wright, Christopher, Deuteronomy NIV Commentary, p. 140)