Exodus 19:1-2, Exodus 24:15-18, Exodus 19:4-6, Exodus 32:6

Teresa Phillips

During their years in slavery, this group of people had known only labour, hurt and degradation. For years they and the generations before them, had known no freedom. Then their God had proved to be real. He had miraculously freed them and promised them better days, living in a different country, with prospects. He had given them more than they could ever have dreamt of, and bestowed rich blessings on their lives. They were thankful, eager to follow....at first.

These people, the Israelites, were willing to follow God in the wake of their new-found freedom. Still basking in the warmth of knowing God's deliverance, they started on their journey towards the life and land God had promised them. Soon, however, their enthusiasm faded. In the book of Exodus, we read how they camped out at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-2 and 24:15-18). Moses, their leader, went up the mountain and met with God over a period of forty days and nights. Despite the fact that God had given the Israelites the promise of a great and secure future (Exodus 19:4-6), the Israelites found it hard to mirror their leader's enthusiasm and perseverance. Whilst Moses was up the mountain, they built an idol and worshipped it, and 'sinned sexually' (Exodus 32:6). They had wandered away from their first love and enthusiasm.

It's interesting to look at our own lives and see how our enthusiasm fades. The excitement I felt when I first passed my driving test; that desire to drive anyone, anywhere, has certainly gone! I find driving boring now! And the ecstatic feeling I had when I moved into our new home? Buried under a pile of paintbrushes and dust.

We could make a list of all the best things in life; passing tests, owning your first car, getting married, getting a great job, having babies.... all these things are fantastic and we get excited about them. But there is one thing that is a treasure above all of these things. Something so amazing that it changes our life and our destiny. And that is Jesus, and what he did for you and me. He died as a sinless man, as the son of God. He died the death we deserve for the things we do wrong. We all do wrong things, and these separate us from God because He is perfect. But because Jesus died in our place, we have a free gift - life forever, with God. Without Jesus, we would all die as sinners, but because of Jesus, we get something we could never earn - eternal life in heaven.

What did you feel when you just read that? I hope you felt enthusiasm. Whether it's the first time, or the eighty-first time you've heard that, I hope you were moved. We have the opportunity to share our lives, forever, with a caring, awesome, mighty God, and it's EXCITING!

Let's keep our enthusiasm about the best news EVER. Because people can tell how enthusiastic we are, or aren't. It's reflected in the way we live and speak. And, perhaps most importantly, it will be reflected in the way we share this good news. If you're enthusiastic about it, if your attitude is, THIS IS THE BEST NEWS, EVER..... you'll not be able to help yourself but share it with others. After all, if you have the best news ever, about the best way to live, why would you want to keep it to yourself?