March 30th - Reflection

Reading
Tuesday in Holy Week
Isaiah 49:1-7 (NRSV)
The servant brings salvation to earth's ends

Listen to me, O coastlands,
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born,
while I was in my mother's womb he named me.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified."
But I said, "I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord,
and my reward with my God."

And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength --
he says,
"It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,
"Kings shall see and stand up,
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

Reflection
My cause is with the Lord. My cause is to be a servant of God, giving light to the ends of this world I have been graciously given and set within. Give the light of a salvation that shines brightly through me and leads all to focus on the cross of Christ. Let that light shine through me and reflect off of me that it is so compelling that the world can not help but to look to the Light and follow that Light and me to the feet at the cross of Jesus. A focus so strong that we all gather from all corners of the world and kneel at the feet of Jesus and see the Love of God so powerful and so real. My cause is with the Lord and I am the servant, here gathered with a host of witnesses to that Love Divine! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, use your servant this day and may your light brightly reflect off of me and shine through me this day that others may come to you. --- Amen