| September 17-24 The Call: September 17. Jesus said, �Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest� (Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30). Fullness of faith is possible only when we have received what Jesus offers: a life nourished by a deep sense of rest. We may struggle in key areas of our lives not because we are failing to try hard but because we are trying too hard. A good painter has to step back from the canvas every once in a while in order to gain perspective that is important for the completion of their work. God of faith and power, refresh me that I may be a channel for your grace and peace. Amen. September 18. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore. Amen. (Psalm 131). Sometimes a passage in the Bible serves as a checkpoint, centering us in the life of God. The composer of Psalm 131 invited an entire nation to get its bearings by recovering a sense of hope in order to navigate the future with vigor. Hope in the Lord yields wisdom, direction, and inspiration for the journey. O God of the wilderness, help me to take my bearings and live with confidence in you. Amen. September 19. Jesus said, �Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!� (Luke 10:21-24). Jesus said that the eyes of his disciples were blessed. This is so because they were seeing events that would change the course of human history: the poor were treated as royalty, the sick were receiving health, outsiders and outcasts were becoming insiders. All of this could be seen with the human eye, and it was a blessing to witness the changes taking place in the lives of people who longed for new life. God, open my eyes, and give me the grace to see your energy at work in the world. Amen. September 20. Jesus said, �Listen! A sower went to sow.� (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) Jesus placed enormous faith in small beginnings and small actions. He healed one person�s blindness with a dab of mud, taught in brief parables, and opened up possibilities for life and living with a single touch or word. In the parable of the sower, a man spread seed over a great stretch of ground. Where tiny seeds landed and led to extraordinary bounty. This is how Jesus worked: putting love into action by sowing small seeds of hope and faith. Every great endeavor begins with small decisions and actions, carried forward with the unseen force of God. O God, as I sow the seeds of love with faith and patience, help me to do so, trusting in your grace. Amen. September 21. It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High�(Psalm 92 v1). When we give thanks to God, we focus on what we have received rather than on what we are lacking. As we give thanks for the accompaniment of God in the future, we open ourselves to be filled with God�s vibrant life and power of love. Thanksgiving enlarges the container of faith. With each expression of gratitude, we increase our capacity to see the grace of God at work in our lives. With every grace given, we make room in our souls for the wisdom and dreams of God. O God of life, increase my faith, that I might live in the fullness of your love. Amen. September 22. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love,� (Ephesians 4:17-5:2). Good athletes imitate the moves of other successful athletes. Jesus is the model that Christians follow. How can we imitate God? Is it even possible to think and do such a thing. Looking at the life of Jesus, the invitation to imitate God is the desire to live in love. It is the nurture of a profound sense of compassion for vulnerable people and the willingness to cultivate a balance between care for self and care for neighbor. O God of boundless compassion, make me aware of your passion moving through my life. Amen. September 23. A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water (Proverbs 11:23-30). Sometimes we say that what goes around comes around. We often mean that if we treat others badly, we will be treated badly in return. The proverb in today�s meditation offers a more positive view of the truth. Jesus said, �Those who lose their life for my sake will save it� (Luke 9:24). This is how the world is supposed to work: when someone�s generosity enriches us, we pass it along. Generous God, help me to give of myself, without thought of costs or rewards. Amen. September 24. In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me (Psalm 86:11-17). Late one dark night a friend was driving on a very familiar route on their way home. An accident forced my friend to take a detour off their regular route. They didn�t think they knew how to get home but their slight knowledge of the area roads proved enough to get them through the detour and home. That is how our spiritual journey is. When something unexpected occurs we may not think we know what to do or that we know how to handle it, but somehow we end up having what it takes to get through. God is gracious, great and a doer of wondrous things, a teacher of truth, a deliverer of one�s soul, a helper and comforter. Gracious and merciful God, thank you for teaching me the way. Amen. |
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