Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
For those of us in the Northern Midwest of the United States we have come to understand cold in a way that is perhaps new: wind that is biting, fingers numbing at shocking speeds, and a chill that seems to take twice as long to leave as it did to acquire. It is at times like these that we need to be grateful for the houses in which we live, especially when warmth is not found easily for everyone.
For many of us, these frigid days have been spent almost barricaded inside waiting for a break in the weather. How much thought have we given to the structure that protects us? Certainly, I have noticed places where the cold comes in more than I expected and have grumbled accordingly. But I have not recently fully appreciated and thanked God for providing the roof over my head. Sometimes when I think about the house, I believe that I am the one providing it.
It is this sense of self concern that is reflected in 2 Samuel today. We encounter King David settled into his house wondering if he should build a house for the Lord. Perhaps David is feeling guilty for not having first treasured the Ark of the Covenant with a house. Having heard David’s angst the Lord sends the prophet Nathan to remind David who it was called him from a lowly state and raised him up to be a great King. Through Nathan, the Lord admonishes David so that he might realize that all the good in his life has been provided by God. How often is it that we recognize the blessings the Lord has given to us?
Part of appreciating what we have been given comes by making a home for the Ark of the Covenant under our own roof. This process requires of us that we make of our whole self, mind, heart and spirit, fertile soil in which the treasure of God’s love and Word can take root. Developing fertile soil means becoming attune to the Lord’s voice. It means placing Christ at the Center of our lives and acting upon the opportunities in which we are called to serve. It means putting aside all of our anxieties and allowing God’s Word to choke out everything in our lives that separates us from Jesus, our Ark of the Covenant.
"Loving God, Continue to nurture our hearts, minds and souls to help us become acutely aware of your presence in our lives. Allow this process to unfold in us so that in the housing of our being You find a home, both now and forever. Amen!"
-Michael Montgomery