March 24/Third Thursday of Lent
Oh that today you would hear his voice.
Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert,
Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.~ Ps 95.8-9
It is easy to trust in God when things are going smoothly, isn’t it? When things fall our way at work, when our health is stable, and our family life is even-keeled, then we have no problem singing joyfully to the Lord or entering into his presence with thanksgiving, as our singer invites us to do at the opening of Psalm 95. But when misfortune comes calling, doubt is usually right there at its side. “Why me, God?” we may ask in the case of individual suffering; “Where are you, Lord?” in the face of the pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, our own domestic divisions. Our hearts harden, our necks stiffen, and we exchange our posture of joyful trust for the skeptic’s crossed arms. That’s what the people of Israel did repeatedly. The psalm’s dual references to Meribah (from the Hebrew for “quarrel”) and Massah (from the Hebrew for “test”) point to a particularly low moment during Israel’s wilderness wanderings. Even though God had just led them out of enslavement in Egypt – certainly grounds for trust! – they objected to the chapter that followed their liberation from bondage. The desert was hard; they were thirsty, weary, and disgruntled. So despite their still-fresh experience of God’s saving presence, their hearts hardened, their necks stiffened, and they murmured, “Is the Lord among us or not?” Perhaps we might ponder whether we, too, are “fair-weather” believers, praising the Lord when he gives, second-guessing him when he takes away. Our challenge for Lent and beyond, particularly as we continue to live in such a volatile world, is to keep our necks flexible and our hearts soft, in the rough times as well as the smooth.
Lord God Almighty, Rock of our deliverance, Soften our hard hearts, and grant us infinite trust in your goodness. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032422.cfm
To hear the Calvin College Alumni Choir sing “If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFfYKN6Jw1o&list=RDvFfYKN6Jw1o&start_radio=1
