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A Yearning for God

Readings: Psalms 79-84

Psalm 84:10 – “Better is a single day in your courtyards than a thousand days anywhere else!”

Disaster has come upon Israel. Psalm 79 details how the temple was defiled, the walls were ruined, and the people were killed. The psalmist asks, “How long will you rage?” That is a question we all ask during extended seasons in the dark valleys. The psalmist begs for deliverance – and for vengeance. God pay them back. And remember us, the sheep of your own pasture.

Psalm 80 continues this plea. The psalmist reminds God that Israel is the vibe that God brought out of Egypt and planted in Zion. The vibe is now chopped down and burned. O God, attend to your vine. Be with us God and we will not turn away. Psalm 81 functions as a response from God. It begins with a call to praise God but quickly God begins to speak (through the psalmist’s words.) These words begin with a remembrance of the exile from Egypt. God warned them about idols but the people didn’t listen. God laments, only if they could “walk in my ways.” God would then subdue their enemies and feed Israel the finest wheat and honey. If only we would turn from our idols… then God would give us hope, peace, joy, grace…

Psalm 82 gives us a peak into ancient thought. In the divine council God questions how justice is (or isn’t) being administered. It seems that the “lesser beings” are not properly caring for the poor… God removes their immortality and steps in as the judge.

A call for God’s actions fills Psalm 83. The enemies have gathered and threatened Israel. The psalmist calls for God to act, to make the enemy “like tumbleweeds.” Then all will know that God alone rules over the whole earth. At times in our lives we can pray these prayers. We just want God to remove that which is causing us pain.

Our readings close with Psalm 84. These are beautiful words about being in God’s home. It begins with a yearning to be with God. The psalmist declares, “Better is a single day in your courtyards than a thousand days anywhere else!” Oh to be in God’s presence. Oh to experience God’s favor and glory. Oh to trust in the Lord our God. Oh we yearn to have God’s presence all around us. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, you are the Lord of all creation. You are our good shepherd who watches over us, leads us, provides for us. When we stray, pull us back into the fold, back into the presence that is better than life itself. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Extraordinary

Reading: John 2: 1-11

Verse 7: “Fill the jars with water”.

At His mother’s request, Jesus takes action. The six empty jars – the ones used for religious rituals – are standing nearby. Jesus tells the servants, “Fill the jars with water”. I do not sense any hesitation on their part. In fact, our Bibles tell us that “they filled them to the brim”. They do not just put some water in the jars. There is an expectation of something here. Maybe they could sense it in Mary and Jesus’ conversation.

The water that was placed in the jars was just ordinary water. It was probably drawn from the local well – from the well that all the people and animals living in and around Cana drink from every day. But once inside the jars the water becomes something extraordinary. Not just wine, but really good wine. The master of the wedding banquet notes, “you have saved the best until last”.

On one level, in the here and now, this story tells us to look for and to expect God’s abundance in extraordinary ways. The jars are filled to the brim. This is how God wants to fill us. God does not want us to experience some of His love, grace, mercy,… He wants to fill us so full that it even overflows! What is inside the jars is extraordinary because of Jesus. This too is God’s desire for all who follow Christ. When Jesus is in us, we are ‘in the world but not of the world’. We belong to heaven. In this world, we stand out and we are called to be a glorious witness to God and His coming kingdom.

This is the second level of our extraordinary abundance. The passage points to the eternal. Like the wine at the banquet, our best is yet to come. We begin to experience what is to come in our earthly life. God is ever at work in us, sanctifying us – making us more and more like Jesus, living more and more in His image. Through this process we grow in our faith and life is better. Yet this life is just a small glimpse of heaven – not even a little peek. It is just the beginning of a taste. We await a far more exceeding time in glory. This too will be extraordinary!

Prayer: God, thank you for walking with me through this life. In the blessings and in the trials, I know you are there. You have so much more for me than I can even imagine. Help me to trust, to step where you lead, allowing me to spread your love and to help build the kingdom here on earth. Amen.