March 23, 2023
Each day, I reflect upon a word or a phrase that emerges from the readings of the day. I encourage you to do the same and perhaps incorporate that word or phrase into your daily prayer.
“The LORD said to Moses, I see how stiff-necked this people is.” (Exodus 32:9)
STIFF-NECKED: This is not a word we hear everyday, but it certainly describes us when it comes to following God’s plan for our lives. If you are anything like me, you want life to happen according to your plan. We plan; we make lists; we determine the best way to go about our business. We do all of this in order to achieve our goal – whatever that goal may be.
Oftentimes, God tries to show us that our plan is not his plan. However, we are stubborn and insist upon continuing down the wrong path.
We are stiff-necked. When we have a stiff neck, we can only look in one direction. So we choose to look where we want to look – in our direction, the way WE want to go. Thus, we don’t consider other options; we can’t see them. Eventually, we develop tunnel vision.
God wants us to loosen up our necks. He wants us to be able to see in every direction. When we do, we will see that God has other options for us to consider. We open ourselves up to HIS plan.
For our Lenten prayer today, let’s pray for a looser neck. Pray for the courage to let down our guard and consider his plan for us. It could potentially open up a whole new world for us – one filled with hope, joy and love.
From the Deacon's Desk 