Sunday, February 24, 2008

Thirst for God

February 25, 2008

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

By Beth DeCristofaro

As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God. My being thirsts for God, the living God. When can I go and see the face of God? (Psalm 42:2-3)

Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king: “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” (2 Kings 5:8)

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place… Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. (Luke 4:24, 27)

Piety

My God, my soul thirsts for your living water. My ears thirst for your living Word. My heart thirsts for your living love. My lips thirst for your living words. Fill me as no earthly words, love, Word or water can do. Fill me to overflowing, Lord God, so that I might be a conduit for your Grace to overflow. Thank you, God, for your living water. Amen

Study

http://www.usccb.org/nab/022508.shtml

The story of Naaman turns on trust and humility. Who brings the good word to Naamum? A slave girl does who might well have just kept silent. After all, she was forced into service against her will and without any hope of release. Who convinced Naaman to follow the cryptic command of Elisha? It was servants who might just as well stayed out of things and followed Naaman back to their comfortable existence in Aram. And Naaman listened. Naaman acted on the advice of his inferiors. He heard God within them and found himself: Athirst is my soul for the living God. (Psalm 42:3)

The king found a need for trust and humility. He was fearful and suspicious for himself when he heard Naaman’s petition. Elisha’s words reminded him that it is not about the king. “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” (2 Kings 5:7) Elisha reminded the king not to listen to the human implications but to listen within his soul for the living God. This is a moment for God’s astounding, mysterious action. Humility and trust are required not human solutions.

Do we find ourselves athirst for the living God or focused on just getting through the day? Where do we look for, listen for, strive for the face, voice and presence of God? Can we accept that God speaks where God will speak – from a slave’s mouth? From a dangerous outsider? Can God’s voice rock our status quo? Can we kneel in humility before God and say “yes, I will seek you where you are, my God.”?

Jesus’ hometown had no such humility or trust. He was the son of a carpenter. They refused to be still and listen. Our need for God is answered in humility and trust. Silence and sitting with God’s Word allows us to hear the living God.

Action

Do you have a suspicious king, an impatient Naaman or a furious townsperson within you blocking you from hearing God’s voice? Ask for the humility to let go and listen to God. “…if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? (2 Kings 5:13) Give thanks today and ask for trust, humility and awareness of God’s living presence within you. Let your awareness seep into the concrete circumstances of the day to enrich and enliven what you are involved in and with whom you relate during the day. Thirst for the living God.

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