DAILY BYTE
Richard Rohr has a phrase that beautifully sums up this week’s devotions:
God does not always give us the answers we are looking for in life, but what he will always give is an abundance of meaning.
This is what Elijah’s story reminds us of so vividly – that we may not always have answers, that life can be unfair at times, but God will ALWAYS press divine meaning into our lives.
If we learn to listen intently, if we trust our feeling less and God more, we will find peace in this too. That even in our toughest driest desert experiences, our eyes can be opened to find trees of grace and messengers of divine love. That even in our darkest, most abandoned ‘life caves,’ our ears will go beyond loud noises and special effects to hear whispers of hope.
That even if God is silent, there is STILL presence.
This really is the relentless witness of all Scripture. Through many diverse stories and characters who all face their tough and empty moments, to the Psalms where at least a third of them are angry and questioning, the one unified voice coming through is ‘don’t fear and don’t give up because God is always with you.’
This message culminates in Jesus who was called ‘Immanuel’ which means ‘God with us.’ In today’s focus reading, where Jesus is speaking to his disciples about enduring persecutions and facing tough times, he assures them that although these bad things will happen to good people (like them); it will not stop God from being there.
Jesus reminds them that not even the tiniest sparrow falls from the sky, ‘apart from the Father’ or without God being there. Not even the tiniest little animal in the most remote corner of the earth will pass away without God being present. What an amazing thought!
Like Elijah, sometimes we struggle to see or perceive that. But the lesson we learn from Elijah’s caving experiences is that even if we feel completely alone and utterly let down – well, those are only feelings because God will always be with you.
Always.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Gracious God, not even the tiniest sparrow falls from the sky without you being there. So how much more are we worth to you and how much more will you ensure that you are with us through every moment of every day. Thank you for that incredible message of hope, and may we determinedly cling to it even when our feelings tell us otherwise. In Jesus name. Amen.
FOCUS READING
Matthew 10: 29-31 ( NRSV)
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
