Advent
December 19, 2018
Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2-5a
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace. –Micah 5:4-5
There is no question that Jesus thought everyone should have enough food to eat and one could read the scripture above and understand it to mean that we too as followers of Christ are called to follow his example and assure that all have adequate food to eat. I think though Micah here is talking more about feeding our souls with the strength of the Lord. I have been a part of many attempts to do justice in our world over several years and have discovered the people who stick with doing justice most likely are routinely strengthened with the nurture of the Lord. They are committed to a higher calling.
Those of us who are very goal oriented find it frustrating not to see the results of our labors. Some fall away and seek other causes or just give up. Others live the journey of faith not its outcomes. As we strive to carve out a more just world, we also seek to grow in the wisdom and ways of the Lord. I think Jesus was very goal oriented. He foresees eternal outcomes that might be measured in small steps. For those of us who try to emulate him our faith that his vision will come to fruition is our outcome. Our work must be crucial to that outcome or God would not have called us to do it. Such faith demands a strong relationship with God and a willingness to trust in God’s plan.
Prayer: God strengthen us in our service and remind us that your yoke is easy, and your burden is light* because you are pulling with us every step of the way. Amen
*Based on Matthew 11:28-30