What strikes me in Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 this morning is the gentleness of God.
"Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid...."
Words of comfort and of tenderness.
And in later verses:
"He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep."
Words of nourishment and of embrace.
This is the God before whom I "unwind the past day, starting from now and looking back, moment by moment," as our Sacred Space booklet suggests.
I'd forgotten this sort of spiritual discipline-- looking back over the previous 24 hours, "[gathering] in all the goodness and light, in gratitude... [attending] to the shadows and what they say to me, seeking healing, courage, forgiveness."
I am grateful for this reminder and spent a few moments remembering, reflecting, pondering the events of the past day-- giving thanks, seeking healing, courage, forgiveness from the God of comfort, tenderness, nourishment and embrace.
What about you?
2 comments:
I have read this passage and am still mulling it over. I know we read part of it earlier this week, but it added meaning for me and clarified things.
So, I'm still thinking about it and what it means to me.
I do like how tender God is in this passage and how this tenderness is in stark counterpoint to God's fierceness. (That may be the wrong word) But He can wither grass. I know that the text intended to put these tow very different concepts of God next to each other. Not sure what it means though.
I think this is a perfect day for me to join in on the blogspot conversation as today's passage is another great reminder of how healthy this exercise can be for us. Reading each day, reflecting, sharing with others -- each of these things can remind us of God's greatness and the comfort we have in Him.
Everyday life, with its moments of pain and joy, is a blessing that I take for granted all too often.
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