Today’s scripture: Isaiah 45:1-19 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (David Zier):
Sometimes we can think that God only uses others, or certain people, or someone who can speak with religious prose, to do something special. But time and time again in the Bible, that is not the case. Think of Moses, who did not think of himself as an eloquent speaker or someone with leadership material. “Certainly not me!”
I had a friend in Seminary named Sue Axtell who is no longer with us. She died of Multiple Myeloma, cancer of the plasma (blood) that affects white blood cells. In our last year of seminary together, she did her fieldwork at a place called Open Arms. Open Arms is a ministry supported by several churches in Richmond, Indiana, that provides needed financial and referral services to help people slipping through the cracks to get back on their feet.
When Sue took on this ministry as her field education, the current leader of the organization got a job in North Carolina and left the area, and the ministry was on hiatus. All of a sudden, Sue’s field education part of seminary seemed to be in limbo. But Sue took this as a sign to help the organization get back on its feet. She opened the doors while they looked for a new administrator. She basically handled all duties, meeting with people in need, meeting with the organizational board, providing funding to those in need who applied and qualified, referring people to the resources they needed, and putting together processes and procedures for how Open Arms can work better and more efficiently. A new person was hired as administrator, and Sue was able to complete her Field Education, carrying this ministry from almost collapsing to a more vibrant future. In fact, when I was at West Richmond Friends for my Internship after seminary, I also worked at Open Arms, as West Richmond Friends was one of the churches supporting the Open Arms ministry. I was able to bless others through this ministry because of the work and leadership provided by Sue.
During this time at Open Arms, Sue’s cancer came out of remission. But she fought on, and God used her to ensure that those who were slipping through the cracks in Richmond, Indiana, could find some help. And I was able to continue her work during my internship.
In today’s story, Cyrus, who was not an Israelite, was used for a greater purpose. Sue was used for a greater purpose. No one is immune from being used by God for something greater. Let’s be open to the possibilities.
Thought for the day: God uses all of us. Am I open to the possibilities?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.