Sway by Gwen Meharg
Cor ad cor loquitur
The new Word for the Week (see the sidebar) is taken from Sunday's first lesson:
Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down
and do not return there till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be...
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)
and do not return there till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be...
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)
When you ponder the fact that God is with us and watches over every moment of our day and night... when you realize that God's heart never ceases to speak to our hearts (cor ad cor loquitur)... when you try to imagine all the words God has spoken to each of us... words that we failed to hear because of the ambient noise in our lives... words that we missed because we were too busy to listen... words that we heard, didn't understand and tossed away... words that understood fully - but feared - and tossed away... words we heard but failed to listen to... when you consider all the these words waiting to do God's will, waiting to return to God, having accomplished the end for which the Lord spoke them...
Just how many words would that be? How many words waiting to return to God - but waiting still to achieve their purpose for the Lord?
How many words of love, forgiveness, encouragement, support, comfort and challenge have come straight from God's heart to ours - but wait to accomplish their mission? How many words of insight, wisdom, counsel, knowledge and truth have come our way but languish on the margins of our lives?
Truth be told, I'm not sure how find and collect those words unless it means simply pondering God's love for us and offering thanks for what words we may have missed, may have discarded, may have misunderstood...
Perhaps the best we can do is pray...
Just how many words would that be? How many words waiting to return to God - but waiting still to achieve their purpose for the Lord?
How many words of love, forgiveness, encouragement, support, comfort and challenge have come straight from God's heart to ours - but wait to accomplish their mission? How many words of insight, wisdom, counsel, knowledge and truth have come our way but languish on the margins of our lives?
Truth be told, I'm not sure how find and collect those words unless it means simply pondering God's love for us and offering thanks for what words we may have missed, may have discarded, may have misunderstood...
Perhaps the best we can do is pray...
Gracious God,
your heart never ceases to speak to our hearts.
You speak
words of love to our heart of hearts,
words of counsel to our minds,
words of truth in our confusion,
words of forgiveness to our sinful selves,
words of compassion to our wounded souls,
words of peace to our confusion,
words of challenge to our complacent selves.
Open the ears of our hearts that we might hear
every breath of your presence,
every word of your comfort.
Help us welcome your word
that it might take root within us
and return to you
having accomplished the good work
for which you spoke it.
Let the seed of your word
yield a harvest of fruit,
thirty, sixty, a hundredfold!
your heart never ceases to speak to our hearts.
You speak
words of love to our heart of hearts,
words of counsel to our minds,
words of truth in our confusion,
words of forgiveness to our sinful selves,
words of compassion to our wounded souls,
words of peace to our confusion,
words of challenge to our complacent selves.
Open the ears of our hearts that we might hear
every breath of your presence,
every word of your comfort.
Help us welcome your word
that it might take root within us
and return to you
having accomplished the good work
for which you spoke it.
Let the seed of your word
yield a harvest of fruit,
thirty, sixty, a hundredfold!
-ConcordPastor
Sometimes I think I'm trying too hard to hear God- and sometimes I don't (or can't) try at all.
ReplyDeleteI always feel like I'm missing something-
It goes over my head or quickly past me-
I want and need God so badly, but I'm lost and I don't know how to hear all of those lifesaving words...
help...
Isn't it funny how we feel that we never are doing it RIGHT.
ReplyDeletel can feel the same way, like I am hot or cold with prayer.
I think we need to relax and pray for understanding. I loved the reading this past Sunday about the seed and the fertile soil- you are that seed- let yourself have sun and food (prayer and go to God's table) and remember that we all grow differently- sometimes we have an abundance of flowers and at other times we might be dormant.
God Bless.
"Teacher"
thank you...
ReplyDelete