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Wednesday 17 May 2017

"Listen... He Has Glorified You."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, gentleness, compassion, and empathy.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Isaiah 55:3-5
Incline your ear, and come to me;
   listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
   my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
   a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
   and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
   for he has glorified you.


1) "Incline your ear;" "...come to me;" "...so that you may live;" "...everlasting covenant;" "...glorified you;" "...listen so that you may live;" "...steadfast, sure love;"


2) Isaiah speaks for God saying that the same love God had for David, God will have for the people Israel.  As David was a witness of that love, so Israel will witness that love to the nations.  "...listen so that you may live," I wonder how many people hear that as a threat... what happens if I don't live? Death? Doom? Destruction?  Rather, I hear that when I listen, living becomes greater.  How good are we at "inclining our ears" and listening?  Do we really trust that "steadfast, sure love," the "everlasting covenant"?  How has God glorified us?  What is it to be glorified?  Do we see evidence of it?  What does "glorified" look like?  Do we expect to shine like Moses coming down from the mountain, or Jesus in the Transfiguration?  We live.  We breathe.  We laugh and sing.  We experience joy.  We aren't alone when we are in pain or suffering.  We serve and help to improve the conditions of others.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To be more intentional about acknowledging that we have been glorified.  It is so much easier to acknowledge that we are still sinning against each other, but here is the other side of The Way: we have been glorified... past tense.


"Holy One, reveal your steadfast, sure love for us that we may witness it to the peoples, because you have glorified us."


Breathprayer: "Listen... He has glorified you."

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