This is the Ninth Day of Christmas
Daily Office Readings for Friday of the Second Week of Christmas: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 34; Evening, Psalm 33:
1 Kings 19:1-8; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:1-14
“The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them and delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)
I have a saying that “God’s ears, hears tears.” Perhaps this is not correct grammar but it expresses my belief that whoever cries, they are also praying without knowing it. God has encoded in every human an alarm that signals God of our distress. And God responds to us as God sees fit.
I know people who cry often. And, often they are not sure of their faith. But it doesn’t matter. If we cry, God hears us and will attend to us. In the Bible, from Hagar with her son Ishmael, to Mary Magdalene at the grave of Jesus, God is with those who cry even as he was with David at the loss of his son Absalom. Emanuel, God is with us.
Therefore, if you are distressed but don’t have words, don’t worry just “let the tears flow, and God will know.” God will feel your pain and attend to you. God engineered us this way. Merry Christmas: Day 9
“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 of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray: For those who suffer for the sake of Conscience (BCP p. 823)
O God our Father, whose Son forgave his enemies while he was suffering shame and death: Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of conscience; when they are accused, save them from speaking in hate; when they are rejected, save them from bitterness; when they are imprisoned, save them from despair; and to us your servants, give grace to respect their witness and to discern the truth, that our society may be cleansed and strengthened. This we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ, our merciful and righteous Judge. Amen.
onewhoponders 