“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD …
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care” (Ps 95:1,7).
Last Sunday Patricia Groenewald led some of our teens on a “creation walk” in Durbanville Nature Reserve. I did not want to “cramp their style” but found myself compelled to join the fun. I was drawn by one of four fundamental human needs, “the need to enjoy creation”. The other three needs, as identified by Miroslav Volf, are, “for the exercise and development of personal capacities”, “for communion with close and distant neighbours” and “the need to delight in God”[1].
In Sunday’s Old Testament reading (Exodus 17:1-7) the people are thirsty, not just for water, but for these four needs.
Their communion is poisoned by grumbling, the wilderness is a threat to survival rather than a source of joy, Moses’ capacity to lead and the people’s capacity live in freedom is underdeveloped. They do not (yet) delight in God.
Reflecting on this experience Psalm 95 sings for joy (v.1), delighting in God who formed this beautiful world (v 3-5) and makes us “the people of his pasture, the flock under his care”(v. 7). In God our every need is met.
God Bless,
Sean.
[1] Volf, Miroslav. Captive to the Word of God, Engaging the Scriptures for Contemporary Theological Reflection. Eerdmans, 2010