Daily Office Readings for Friday of the 2nd Week of Epiphany: Year 1
Morning, Psalm 31; Evening, Psalm 35;
Isaiah 45:18 to 25; Ephesians 6:1 to 9; Mark 4:35 to 41
“For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!): I Am the Lord, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:18)
The prophet Isaiah records the message from God for us and adds his own editorial in his report, “he is God,” and, “he established it: he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be !inhabited!”
I believe in God, the maker of heaven and earth, and all that is seen, and unseen. So in God creating our inhabitable earth, God must have had us in mind well before putting together our life support system of planets and sun-stars. We are not accidents! We are “on purpose! Chaos may have had its time, but organized peace was established for us to reside in. God provided this for us through love.
Thank you Isaiah for your message from God, and thank you for your own divine inspired reminder that while chaos existed, we were brought into being in peace. When chaos existed in the flood, Noah and his family were at peace on the ark. When chaos existed with an impending Egyptian onslaught, Moses conducted the Israelites through the water in peace. When chaos existed at the inn, our Lord Jesus was born in the peace of a stable. I am reminded that the chaos of the cross did not prevent the peace and rest of the Resurrection which was about to come.
When you are aware of chaos happening, look around, God is making peace very near you. Go then and be in the peace of God.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Iran and China.
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:1 and 2). So, for this evening and tomorrow day my friends, Shabbat Shalom.
What is Shabbat? Intro to the Jewish Sabbath – YouTube
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
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