Christian Reflection and Prayer

As human beings, we want so much to understand everything
that is going on in our lives. We’d like to see everything that
has happened and everything that will happen in a neat box all
tied up with a pretty ribbon. However, God doesn’t work that
way. You can’t place God in a box. Our God is way too big
and far too great to be contained. He works in ways that we
can’t possibly comprehend. As it says in Proverbs 20:24,
“A person’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can
anyone understand their own way?” No, we can’t understand
how God works – and that’s a good thing.

If we could understand God’s ways, then His actions would
be limited to our intellectual capabilities. I don’t know about
you, but I want a God who is limited by nothing! A colleague
of mine once put it this way: “I don’t want to pray to a God
who I can understand!” I want God to have ways to make
things happen in my life when I don’t see a way. I want a
God who can make sense out of my messy life when I can’t
see a way to clean it up myself. I want a God who is bigger
and smarter than me!

Friends, let’s remember that when we go through things in
life that we can’t understand, it’s OK. We don’t have to
understand. God understands and that’s all that matters.
As it says in Proverb 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD … lean not
on your own understanding … and he will make your paths
straight.”

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

Scripture:
Luke 17:20-21 NLT
20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.
Reflection:
The Pharisees asked when God's kingdom would come, not knowing that it had already arrived. The kingdom of God is not like an earthly kingdom with geographical boundaries. Instead, it begins with the work of God's Spirit in people's lives and in relationships. Still today we must resist looking to institutions or programs for evidence of the progress of God's kingdom. Instead, we should look for what God is doing in people's hearts.

Scripture:
Isaiah 55:6-9

Reflection:

I am often struck by the sense of urgency in the
Scriptures. Truly, our turning to God and living
the life God intended are presented as a matter
that needs our immediate attention. We need to
"seek the Lord while he may be found" and
"return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on us."
While we can interpret this sense of urgency as
a plea to avoid our own perishing, it seems that
the emphasis has more to do with God been with
us. God's "thoughts are not my thoughts" and
God's "ways are not my ways." The urgency of
the Scriptures is rooted in the reality that God
has something far greater in mind for us, and
each moment that we wait to embrace that
reality is time lost. God has a vision for our
flourishing, and we would be better off to seek
it in each day and in each moment.

Prayer:

God, help me in each day and each moment to
seek your wisdom that I may live fully this life
as you intended.  Amen

(The Covenant Home Altar Daily Devotion, Paul Corner)