July 7th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Isaiah 55:10-13
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
   and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
   giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
   it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
   and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

For you shall go out in joy,
   and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
   shall burst into song,
   and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
   instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
   for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Reflection
What God sends forth produces fruit. God does not send forth uselessness and wasteful words or actions. When I think of Jesus coming to earth, I recall the perfect example of this thought. Likewise when we become children of God in the waters of baptism and the Spirit is poured out upon us and salvation is made real in our lives; we are sent out from God. We are gifted and called and sent and what God sends out will be fruitful. Sometimes we forget this and dwell only on our faults and our insecurities but God has a way of even using these characteristics to make something good and wonderful of our lives as we live out life on this earth in the presence and in the company of all the people God has created.

And then I think of the joy of returning to my father, yes even my earthly father, after having gone out with the skills and abilities and character that my earthly father taught me and the joy in his eyes upon my return. I feel this same way with my own children. When I see them experience life the hardships and the joys using the tools and abilities that I taught them to survive with; when they return, I am happy to see them and hear about their ventures in life.

How much more joy we must bring to our heavenly Father when we return from using the gifts and abilities he has placed within us to bring him glory and joy. What we may have thought was going to produce thorns we return with cypress. What we may have thought was a brier comes back as myrtle. We can see this glory in Jesus and we can see it in the baptized and gifted children of God as well.

When God's Word is placed upon our hearts and God's everlasting water is placed on our head and the sign of the cross is placed upon our forehead and we are gifted and sent in faith, we will return to God with all glory and honor and praise. It's just that simple. All because God said so and not because we were worthy. Yes, it's all a gift from God for which we give eternal thanks and praise.

Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-SI_HRWooA

Prayer
Lord, rain down your Word upon this earth and upon your children that your purpose may be accomplished... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen