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4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water (Isaiah 35:4-7a New Revised Standard Version of The Bible)
A blessed Wednesday be yours, ConCafe Family. And may that which you lack, face, fear, find in God's word your comfort, strength, and peace. Our prayers should be focused on those in need, those who hurt, those who cry, those who tremble with cold, seek shelter from the heat, or food for their stomaches, and water for their thirst. May God hear our prayers and bless those who fit that description. Today, the family of Mr. Tom Lester, Jr., pay their last goodbyes to him as they lay him to rest. May God comfort and bless Tammy and their children; and Mr. and Mrs. Tom and Pam Lester, Sr., who will say goodbye to their son. Prayers for Tom's siblings, his family and friends. May the light of peace and hope shine through the worship service and may resurrection be his, and ours. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves as well.
During the last two nights I have been visited by thoughts of what we would love to see in a perfect world. The more I think on this, the longer the list gets, and the tougher that it seems to live in such an imperfect world. It seems like a wish list, but speaks of the hurt and pain we encounter. With your permission I share this in the hope that you be blessed and strengthened. The list, at least this list, is not finished, nor will it ever be, but we pray that the hope behind this will be stronger with every reading.
In a Perfect World, Grandchildren would not live more than five minutes from grandma and grandpa. In a Perfect World, Ice cream would be a mandatory dessert for any meal eaten after 9 a.m. In a Perfect World, No one would go hungry, either at bedtime, or upon awakening each day. In a Perfect World, No one would ever be thirsty; water would be clean and fresh In a Perfect World, No parent would ever outlive their children. In a Perfect World, No wife would see her husband buried at a young age. In a Perfect World, No husband would see his wife buried at a young age. In a Perfect World, No child would see the burial of their Mom or Dad. In a Perfect World, Brothers would not bid farewell to the body of a sister or brother. In a Perfect World, Sisters would not bid farewell to the body of a brother or sister. In a Perfect World, Tears would not stain our pillows at night. In a Perfect World, Laughter would be required at all gatherings. In a Perfect World, People would not hate others because they looked different from them. In a Perfect World, No door would slam in the face of those seeking shelter or food. In a Perfect World, Love would not be a stranger to so many. In a Perfect World, Churches would not be empty, nor fighting from within.
But this was once a perfect world, set inside a garden paradise, populated by God's chosen two. And because God loved the two, everything was provided, and yet evil found its way in, and the perfect world was no more. Yet, this only put God into action in trying to restore the world back to the way God had wanted; love, peace, harmony, kindness, and civility would be the new norms and signs of God's presence in this fractured world. And though God tried with prophets, judges, kings, and queens; God knew that the perfect world might not be possible here without God doing something extraordinary, and that would involve the sending of His Son, Jesus. The passage for today is part of the massive stage-setting that was necessary to be shared with those who hoped and waited for God. God's message is reflected in the words of the great prophet Isaiah, who speaks to the fearful, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense;" meaning that those who purposefully violated what God expected would receive their just reward. The message of God was positive, "He will come and save you." And signs of this coming would include the blind receiving sight, and the deaf having the ability to hear again. In unexpected areas where water was not normally found, "Waters shall break forth, and streams in the deserts; the perpetually hot desert sand would become pools for refreshing and cooling; and pools from which the thirsty could drink. The passages for this coming Sunday all confirm that. The gospel of Mark shared how Jesus helped the blind, the demon-possessed and the deaf would be restored. The perfect world is coming/
In the coming Perfect World, Hunger, thirst, sadness, loneliness will be no more. In the coming Perfect World, Death and crying will be no more. In the coming Perfect World, Life and love will never end. In the coming Perfect World, God will be among us and we shall want no more.
PRAYER: Loving God of the present and coming world, speak hope to us who struggle now with Your word of peace and joy. Help us be the people who bless others in trying to make this imperfect world even better while we wait for the coming perfect world. This is our hope and our prayer, and we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. Be an advance person for the coming perfect world today!
Receive my blessings of hope and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
