Isaiah 55:1-9 NRSV

Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We live in a world where spiritual hunger and thirst are a reality for many of us.  We may be intrigued by a more prayer filled life, we may ponder the importance of making time for bible study, yet we find it much easier to busy ourselves with the daily tasks of living. Lists that beckon to be completed and checked-off only to have new ones waiting.  Life is busy and there is much to do, so making time to stand in the stillness of God seems like something we will get to on the next list.

Perhaps deep within us we know that to open our hearts to the inner calling of the Sacred One will be painful.  For in these quiet moments we are often faced with the realization that we do not live the way God wants us too.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways, my ways, says the Lord.”

And yet we must ‘Seek the Lord.’ This time of Lent affords us the focus to seek the Lord, to be fully in the precious of the Holy One.  The more we seek God, the more we will encounter the eternal promise of God’s love and grace, and the more we will faithfully live in God’s ways.

Life is busy… and in the midst of it seek God.

Prayer: God, we know you seek us.  May we seek you in all we do.  Replace our lists of excuses with sacred encounters with you, Living God.  Amen.

Rev. Catherine Stark-Corn
Minister to Children, Youth and Families