This passage invites us to ask ourselves what it is we devote ourselves to going after in this life. For what do we truly hunger and thirst? Do we desire the admiration of others? Appreciation for small sacrifices? Maybe we want to have the biggest house on the block or the nicest car or the latest gadget. Maybe we strive after always being right or having all the answers. Hear the prophet asking, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?”
Admiration, respect, fancy things, certainty about everything…while these may feel nice in the moment, they do not sustain us, nourish us, or lead to lasting satisfaction. Instead, we are invited to listen, to seek, and to call upon God. We are invited to work towards closing the gap between our thoughts and those of God’s, between our ways and those of God’s. According to the prophet in this reading, God’s thoughts and ways involve generosity, trustworthiness, mercy, and forgiveness.
To what degree do you seek to make those traits hallmarks of your own life? Are there any that come more easily to you than others? What practices might be helpful in strengthening those aspects of your own character?
Today, offer a prayer of confession for the thoughts and ways in your own life that do not align with those of God’s. Find assurance in God’s promise of pardon.