From Isaiah 51:1
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.
Yesterday the images from the devotions focused on the subversive vision of parables. That vision is a call to life...a reminder of what it is to be followers of the one we call Lord, Jesus. Now from Isaiah, a part of the first lesson from this past Sunday, comes a word of encouragement to any and all who consider themselves to be among those who seek the Lord. Our God has a history of calling people forward into the life of promise. It is not some flimsy promise. It is as solid as the rock that becomes the foundation and building blocks of the great buildings throughout civilization. This image of the rock that is used by the prophet Isaiah is to be for all of us who are wooed by the Spirit of God - a resting place and a base from which we jump out into the day as children of the Most High God. Please note, that we are called by the prophet, "you that pursue righteousness." We do not simply go out into the day doing as we please. We live within that promise of new life. Righteousness encompasses the bountiful images of a community of people who will serve others so as to see to the welfare of all. That is a bold path to follow. It is incredibly important that we step onto that pathway with our God under girding our every step - a solid rock.
Connection: You are the righteous of God. That is how God looks at us and that is the truth about us from beginning to end. Therefore today we can live as though that is true...even with all our faults we are called into a life in which we are "right with God" because God says so! That makes today an opportunity for new life rather than another chore.
Lord of New Life, may the history of your loving kindness surround us and nurture us as we become a living presence of such loving kindness in this day. Amen.
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