Of all the things that have made people say “I want off this planet” over the last 15 months, I wasn’t expecting a gas shortage to be one of them. I suppose none of us expected any of this. But people hoarding gas sure doesn’t give me faith in humanity. Rev. Betsy Haas, Deacon at Kitty Hawk UMC had this to say about it, basing her devotional on John 17. I’m reminded of the Israelites in the desert, being provided daily Manna from heaven and yet still being unable to keep from hoarding. It turns out that even thousands of years ago we couldn’t really put our faith in humanity.
What the Israelites (and their spiritual descendants all the way to us) had to learn was that they could put their faith in God. God the Son told his disciples not to store up treasures on earth. God the Father had Moses tell his people not to store up food for even an extra day, except before the Sabbath. And while we all might be literally and metaphorically out of gas in the 17th month of 2020, may we take this opportunity to think outside ourselves, trust in God, gather just what we need, leave some in the pump, and maybe, just maybe, remember to do what Moses and Aaron hoped their followers would do in their time of crisis: each evening know that God has brought us through, and each morning see his glory.
