Thursday, April 1, 2021
Look and See.
Listen and Understand.
Job 33:13-14
Why do you contend against him, saying, “He will answer none of my words”? For God speaks in one way, and in two, though people do not perceive it.
John 18:20-21
Jesus answered, ‘I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.’
Words of Grace For Today
Listen.
God created us able to love. It is what life is about. It is what God is about for us.
Listen.
God created us able to listen. Able to hear God’s Word and Grace and Love for us.
Listen.
God also created us able to refuse to listen, refuse to love, and to refuse to understand what life is all about.
Whether we listen or not, God speaks clearly, loudly, and demonstratively obviously … in many and various ways, and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus most obviously.
Life abundant is available to those who listen. It is part of listening that we come to know the abundance of life is not in material things, nor the absence of material things, or in having more than others.
There are more ways to get through life than living an abundant life, loving God, self, others and all creation as God created us to live and love. None of the other ways is worth pursuing. The Devil collects payments all along the way until there is no life left.
Living by lies eats at you, until there is nothing left.
Living by injustice eats at you, until there is nothing left.
Living by greed eats at you, until there is nothing left.
Listen.
Living by love feeds you, until you realize life is wonderful, most wonderful when it is spent giving life abundant to others.
That’s the truth.
Listen or not, lies always remain lies, injustice always remains injustice, greed always remains greed: that is the truth.
Listen or not, God loves us unconditionally and wishes us to share that with all people.
Listen.