There is a meme for everything these days and I've seen memes about mother nature putting us in "time out" and God pressing "reset". Of course, it made me think of times in the Bible when God pressed reset. There are two examples in the first two books of the Bible so apparently it is an ancient problem.The first example is in Genesis. I mean the world had hardly gotten started and already God was wiping the earth clean with a flood. According to the story, people were behaving badly and God was ready to hit reset. Keep in mind when the story says the whole world was covered in water, they thought the world was flat and really the whole world was only as far as they could see or journey to. Not that big really. But we take all these stories as metaphors and we find flood stories in mythologies and other traditions so we will go with the washing clean metaphor. Noah is the guy chosen to build a big boat and save humanity, through his family, and all the critters on the earth. They were quarantined 40 days. Noah complies and the world is saved. Except unicorns. We get rainbows but we lose unicorns. In just the next book, Exodus, Moses gets word that he should lead the Israelites out of bondage and slavery in Egypt and take them to a promised land. On the other side of the wilderness. They had to cross the Red Sea with soldiers hot on their trail and then they were quarantined in the wilderness for 40 years. Since humanity wasn't doing great making its own decisions, Moses gets the 10 Commandments in the wilderness. The Israelites get enough food and water for the day each day. Hoarding is useless-it spoils. If there was a 3 year old at the beginning asking, "Are we there yet?" he was 43 by the time they got to the Promised land. No doubt being hounded by his own 3 year old grandchild by then asking, "Are we there yet?"So are there any similarities in these two, early re-set stories?First, someone had to step up in a new way. Neither Noah nor Moses were known leaders and neither had a lot of confidence in himself. Yet each one found within himself an obedience to the guidance of Spirit and all that was needed for the task before him.Second, there was a dramatic ending. There was no doubt the past was being left behind. Water covered the whole earth. The Red Sea parted and then closed behind them, cutting off not only the soldiers but the way back to where they had been.Third, they had to rely on what they had and what God provided during the journey. There was no space for hoarding and storing up for a time of doing without.Fourth, there was no clear estimate of the time they would spend in the void. 40 really represents not a literal measure of days or years but 40 represents "as long as it takes". Psychologist today posit that it takes 30 days to establish a new habit. So it makes sense that metaphysically 40 aligns with however long it takes to establish a shift in consciousness and an openness to the new way of being.Both Noah and Moses represent states of consciousness. In the Metaphysical Bible dictionary, Fillmore says Noah "typifies the consciousness at rest in God. [He] can also be said to be the obedience through which seed for a new state of consciousness is saved." A consciousness at rest in God, obedient and a seed for a new state of consciousness. Fillmore says Moses "symbolizes progression which works from within outward. As applied to the Universe, the upward trend of all things, the evolutionary law." An understanding of the role of consciousness and grounding ourselves in the expanding and evolutionary nature of consciousness to provide for the outward changes we need and seek. No matter where we are right now, the arc, the trend, the spiral of consciousness is towards greater expression of our potential. So what can we take from these two stories and apply not only to our transition unfolding at Unity of Lehigh Valley but also to the daily life in the environment of the pandemic. First, we all have to step up in new ways that we may consider beyond our capabilities. We trust we are able to access the wisdom and strength and creativity we need. Second, we have to accept the endings occurring and make peace with what is no longer available right now. Third, we have faith in God as our Source and the sustaining power of infinite and invisible substance being made manifest. Without hoarding or focusing on lack, we remain grateful and generous. Fourth, we patiently wait, knowing that the new beginning will take as long as it takes and that will ultimately be the perfect amount of time.Charles Fillmore has a chapter in his book, Prosperity, titled "Laying Up Treasures". Here are some ideas from that chapter:When we have recognized the truth of the omnipresence of God as substance and supply for every need, there will be no occasion for holding back part. We cannot hoard money in its material phase without breaking the law, which is that we have all the substance necessary for our supply. We ask the Lord for our "daily" bread and expect to have it, but we do not get an accumulation that will spoil on our hands or that will deny the proper supply to any other human. This was published in 1936. How do we get to a better understanding of infinite supply? Let's meditate with some more ideas from Prosperity.You do not need to lay up treasures for the future when you know that the law of omnipresent good is providing for you from within. As you evolve into this inner law of mind, you draw to yourself more and more of the good things in life. In your mind see plenty everywhere. Now is the time to open your mind and see plenty.The infinite substance that infinite Mind has given to you is all about you now, but you must lay hold of it. It is like the air, but you must breathe the air to get it. It is yours for the taking but you must take it. You should cultivate this wonderful power of the mind to know that everything is bountiful and [to know] this power to lay hold of invisible substance in the mind and by faith bring it into manifestation. There is no shortage, lack, or depression with God.Do not be fearful, regardless of how outer appearances may affect others. Keep your head when all about you are losing theirs. Refuse to load your mind with the old thoughts and eliminate the old limiting ideas. Assert your freedom and your faith as the offspring of God.Things are never so bad as you think. Never allow yourself to be burdened with the thought that you are having a bad time. You do not want a soul structure of that kind. You are living in a new age. Something grander for humans is now unfolding. Put yourself in line with the progress of thought in the new age and go forward.And so it is. Amen.
