July 12th - Reflection

Job 24:1-8 (NRSV)
The needy are thrust off the road

"Why are times not kept by the Almighty,
and why do those who know him never see his days?
The wicked remove landmarks;
they seize flocks and pasture them.
They drive away the donkey of the orphan;
they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
They thrust the needy off the road;
the poor of the earth all hide themselves.
Like wild asses in the desert
they go out to their toil,
scavenging in the wasteland
food for their young.
They reap in a field not their own
and they glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
They lie all night naked, without clothing,
and have no covering in the cold.
They are wet with the rain of the mountains,
and cling to the rock for want of shelter.

Reflection
We tend to want to lay the responsibility of taking care of the poor, the ill, the needy, and those who can't help themselves either on God or back on the very same people.

But as I reflect on Jesus ministry, I notice how he would walk among these very same people and bring relief to the few he would meet. No, he didn't seem to wave a magic wand and cure the ills of all the people at once, but he did send his group of disciples out to walk among the people to bring hope and cure in the name of Jesus.

Sometimes people, and myself included, get stuck in our own mess. We can't seem to see a way to work clear of it. Sometimes there is no way clear of the mess we are in. Sometimes we have to "get over ourselves" and become humble and turn to God. But, it's important to realize, that God may not answer in the way we would wish. We may or may not get an instant answer. God will certainly come to us, but many times not in the way we expected. God may appear in the voice of a friend, a stranger, or in a vision of something completely normal.

Do we actively seek God when we call on God? I think we must turn to God, seek God, give ourselves to God, and yes...commit to God. In our humbled, "get over ourselves" nature it's time to accept the gracious gift of grace which God freely gives and let God take the situation you are in and make what God chooses to make out of it.

And for me...that's always been a wonderful surprise...and for me...it's never been what I had planned...and for me...it's turned the situation into a joy that I can't express...a joy...even in the midst of the pain...but a joy of hope and love.

Maybe, this day, God will call you to be active in the life of that person who is on the side of the road, in the situation, in the illness, in the need...to be the face of God. Trust in God's guidance in all circumstances.

Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, help those on the sides of the road...even use me. --- Amen