"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord" (Lamentations 3:25-26)
In July of 2009, I drove from Bend, OR to Chicago, IL. I was returning to Seminary for my final year of school having spent a year in Oregon as an intern. The year certainly had its challenging moments and difficulties, but as I drove east, the grandeur of the mountains faded in my rear view mirror. I was overwhelmed with sadness as in that short period of time, I had grown to love not only the people with whom I had come into contact, but the majesty and beauty all around me. As I continued to drive, I clearly heard heard God say to me, "I can be that good to you again." I could probably count on one hand (if that) how many times I have heard God speak so clearly and directly to me. Since that time I have considered what "good" might mean. I am currently a foreigner and alien living in a country not my own. I do not have a permanent, full time job, and the future has many questions of which I cannot yet answer.
However, once again the prophet tells us to wait on the Lord. God is good to those who wait on him. I wonder what that good looks like. Is it that the good is yet to come or am I already living in the midst of good? Surely there is something good about every day, even the ones that are not so good. I think the answer is in the middle;
"...to the one who seeks him."
"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
God has revealed himself to us in multiple ways. Perhaps the good for me is to be able to seek God even more diligently than I might do if all around me were comfortable, if the next steps were clearly laid out. Perhaps that is God's good for me right now. Jeremiah writes that the Lord is good to those who hope in him. Hope, not expect. Hope for the good that God has for us, whatever that looks like.
O come, o come, Emmanuel...
No comments:
Post a Comment