LISTEN UP!
The Voice of God. What would
that sound like, I wonder? Primitive
peoples thought thunder was the voice of God.
For some reason, anyone who imagines God’s voice tends to think it would
be big, loud and frightening. I believe,
based on his words through the prophets that is the last thing God would want
us to think! Angry, vengeful Gods do not call the hearts of people to them. Our
God speaks to us in many ways. In
scripture, God used the prophets, and others, such as Samuel and Moses. God spoke into them and through them and his
words are not loud or frightening, but rather warm and loving.
Through Joel, God said; “Even now, return to me with your whole
heart,
for I am slow to anger, gracious and
merciful.” (Joel 2:1)
Through Ezekiel, God
said; “ I will take out your stony heart and give you a tender and responsive heart.” (Ezk 36:26)
Through Jeremiah, God said; “
Who can read the heart? I alone read the mind and test the
heart to reward everyone according to his
ways,
according to the merits of his deeds. (Jer 27:10)
Through Isaiah, God said: “I, even I, am he who blots our your transgressions,
for my own sake, and remembers your sins
no more.” (Is 43:25)
Believe these words. Take
them to heart. Know that this is the image of God that Jesus strove to present
to the world. Jesus knew God as all loving, all merciful and all forgiving. Acceptance
of that view of God is the path to true peace and in addition, gives us the
grace to be able to share that knowledge with others.
We who strive to live our
lives according to Jesus’ commands must know God as Jesus did. The scriptures
often describe the Jewish people as stiff-necked, stubborn and ungrateful. That must never be a description of us. God speaks to us all the time. It goes back, as it always does, to trusting
God, in that we must trust that God will speak to us, if only we make the
effort to listen.
Blessings in this fourth week
of Lent
Carol Lemelin OPA
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