Saturday March 12, 2022
The man with a speech impediment, Moses, tells the Israelites that God is making them (and us) “… a people peculiarly his own.” I’m not sure I like being called peculiar, but I love being called “God’s own”! Yes, the use of this word “peculiar” does not mean odd or weird. It means select, chosen from all others. “Cherished” would also work. Isn’t that lovely? Don’t you just thrill at the notion that you are cherished by God? I do! Another thrilling thing to contemplate is that Moses (remember that Moses was a murderer, and he had a speech impediment) was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of bondage to freedom. Yet, he was peculiarly God’s chosen spokesperson. On the surface, Moses doesn’t look like a very good choice. I must admit that he would not have been mine. Good that God was doing the choosing and not me! So, Moses with all his shortcomings, argues with Pharaoh, cajoles the Israelites, and converses face to face with God. Wow!! Just think, God has chosen me and you. You and I are cherished, peculiarly God’s own. It catches me by surprise sometimes that, with all my shortcomings, God wants me, loves me, cherishes me. That alone should cause me to behave differently toward others, because God’s love for me, the way God cherishes me, is no different than the way God feels about them … and about you. In God’s hands, our impediments can become assets.