Thoughts for the Day

Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when he hears it, he will answer you. Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The family were trekking through a forest along a muddy trail with two energetic chocolate labradors dashing off on mad quests to chase what were probably imaginary rabbits. They would disappear for some minutes before crossing the path up ahead from one side of the forest to the other. Suddenly all went quiet. I was expecting one of them to come back and check that we were still present, but there was no sign of them. I called, "Toffee! Fudge!" We all stopped to listen. There was no sound of rampaging elephants. Nothing! Then I noticed the path we were on had got very narrow after we had taken a right turn a few moments earlier, and there was a tree down across our track. We had obviously made a mistake and taken the wrong path.

Isaiah promises us and his own generation, that there will come a time when God will answer our cries and that although life may bring us pain and adversity, God will direct us in the way we should go. He doesn't say that life will be a bed of roses, or that all our problems will be solved. We are expected to try and sort out our own troubles and to help others in whatever way we can. But if we walk in God's way - using our faith, our intelligence, our common-sense, and our trust in God - then with Him nudging us from behind we may find the right road.

As for our walk through the forest, well we back-tracked until we found the correct pathway. The dogs? They had found a delightfully muddy pond to wallow in!!!!

Lord Jesus Christ,
teach us to listen for Your prompts
that we have travelled the wrong way.
This Advent may we learn to listen out
for Your quiet pointers as to the right way
that we should be travelling
and change course.
So may we arrive at Christmas
in the right state of mind,
ready to celebrate again Your birth,
with its eternal message of love and peace
to all people.
Amen.