Tuesday, August 20, 2013

August 20th Reflection - Daylight, by Bill Lynch


Isaiah 58:9b–14
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Reflection
It's about perspective. If I focus on myself and my own needs, I'm lost. But if I focus first on God and then on my neighbor and if I act upon the needs of another; God leads me and guides me to a positive outlook on life. When I do this, the negative yoke of burden is lifted and the Light of God shines brightly to me and through me and in me.

With Jesus in my presence day after day, I don't need to search in the midst of broad day Light. Why act like I'm in the dark when the light of Jesus is present?

Prayer
Lord, you show yourself to me each and every day. You are present each and every moment. Forgive me when I grope as in darkness when I'm in broad daylight. You are here... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen

No comments: