August 18th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Isaiah 51:1-6
Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
   you that seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
   and to the quarry from which you were dug.
Look to Abraham your father
   and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
   but I blessed him and made him many.
For the Lord will comfort Zion;
   he will comfort all her waste places,
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
   her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
   thanksgiving and the voice of song.

Listen to me, my people,
   and give heed to me, my nation;
for a teaching will go out from me,
   and my justice for a light to the peoples.
I will bring near my deliverance swiftly,
   my salvation has gone out
   and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
   and for my arm they hope.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
   and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
   the earth will wear out like a garment,
   and those who live on it will die like gnats;
but my salvation will be for ever,
   and my deliverance will never be ended.

Reflection
Look back in time every once in a while. Look back first to your parents and then grandparents and uncles, aunts and cousins. Look into the family into which you were born. Look at the lives and the struggles and the joys of the people past.

Now look to the present. Look to your blessings and your struggles. Look to the way your life has taken shape. Look and reflect upon those that have blessed you and the gifts you have given. See the love of God in Christ Jesus. Recall how God has come to you and is with you all the day. Think of the present as it relates to the eternity of the past and the eternity of the future that God has in store for you this day.

And look to the future. Imagine those yet to come after you. Imagine their thoughts and joys and sorrows as they look back upon your life so that they can learn to live in their present and prepare for their future. Yet always look to the presence of the love of God in Savior, Creator, Spirit, Parent. God is always there.

Yes God is present to those past, present and future. God will not abandon God's creation. God will come and mold and shape and form what God has created into what God desires. We are part of this creation of God. We are part of the Savior, Creator, Spirit, Parent. We are part of God and God is in each of us. Look and listen... the Word is present.

Yes, Isaiah states God's Word clearly:
Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
   and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
   the earth will wear out like a garment,
   and those who live on it will die like gnats;
but my salvation will be for ever,
   and my deliverance will never be ended.

Past - Present - Future --- God

Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTY-UKgLlXs

Prayer
Lord, as I look to the past and live in the present may I see you in all. May I live in the hope and joy of you always in my future... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen