Lent
April 2, 2019
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise. –Isaiah 43:19-21
What is this new thing? Shalom is—completeness, soundness, welfare, peace. Shalom is the rejuvenating gift of God. Water is most important in the wilderness desert. Streams of living water represent love. Without water our bodies soon perish. Without love our souls would die. God promises water in the desert to nourish our bodies, and God’s eternal love to nourish every soul. The new thing is as old as God, making new everything it touches as it renews life.
Love requires a working relationship and is best served when all who love are whole—complete and sound individuals. Of course, we are all works in progress toward such wholeness and thus relationships are always works in progress. I wonder if God built that into us at creation knowing that humans are more respectful of that which we learn by experience. My guess is God puzzles over why some of us do not learn from experience or we only learn after multiple experiences of the same kind.
God did create us with brains and God expects us to use them. We were also blessed with free will so we are left to choose whether we will use our brains for good or evil. God even went the second mile with us by sending Jesus to serve as a role model giving us an example to help us avoid those repeated episodes of tripping over our own self-will even knowing that our actions will only lead to disaster.
Paul uses the example of athletes who work hard to stay in good shape so that at any given time they are ready to face with confidence the competition placed before them. Our souls require the stamina of the athlete gained from our continuous interaction with God through spiritual disciplines like prayer, meditation, silence, service. Such spiritual wholeness prepares us for the temptations that might otherwise pull us off track.
Prayer: Thank you God for giving us the tools we need to attain wholeness. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.