Thursday of the 1st week of Advent (Year A)
Isaiah 26:1-6 | Psalm 117(118):1,8-9,19-21,25-27 | Matthew 7:21,24-27
Trust in the Lord for ever,
for the Lord is the everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:4)
This passage reminds me of a rather corny slogan that can be found on T-shirts and coffee mugs alike:
Word play aside, it’s true that trusting in God, casting our cares upon Him and obeying His Holy Word, can help us roll with the worldly punches that come flying our way.
With Him as our bedrock, it’s easier to stand tall and not be blown to and fro by the whims of popular opinion, to focus on the needful and not the frivolous, to do what must be done and not fritter precious time away.
With God as our foundation, we’re solid as…well, a rock.
✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞
Isaiah also paints a graphic image of a high citadel crumbling to the ground, reminiscent of the well-known phrase “the proud He shall make low”. When we surrender ourselves to the Lord our Rock, when we build our lives around His immovable and everlasting support, He in turn “sets wall and rampart around us”, shielding us from harm.
But if we decide to build on a different foundation, one of our own wants and desires, all it takes is one vengeful person, one financial crisis, one bad day, to knock out our supporting structures. Once those go, we won’t just fall, but Fall.
So let us rededicate ourselves to the Lord daily, building His kingdom on the base of His all-encompassing love. Amen.