9 January: Tuesday Refocus

“Teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice; in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and doubt, in noise and in silence. Teach me, Lord, to listen. Amen.” - John Veltri, SJ

Sheep recognize the voice of the Shepherd (John 10:27). In the whispers and the wind (1 Kings 19:11-13), in the busyness and the boredom, in the certainty and doubt, in the noise and the silence - our Shepherd is speaking and speaking through His Word, speaking through His Spirit, speaking through His people, speaking through creation.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world (Hebrews 1:1-2).”

May the voice of the Good Shepherd ring unmistakably through our souls in 2024.

Speak Lord, your servant is listening. Amen.

Listening,

AB

October 26: Tuesday Refocus

‘Every time circumstances press in on you, say, ‘Speak, Lord,’ and make time to listen.  As we listen, our ears become more sensitive, and like Jesus, we will hear God all the time.’ - Oswald Chambers

The world is noisy and our hearts and minds are overwhelmed with the volume both externally and internally.  So many of us are desperate for God to speak to us without studying the tones, cadence, and language He speaks.  Our Good Shepherd said, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (Jn 10:27).’

His voice declares the identity of His beloved Son (Matt 3:17, Mark 1:11, Lk 3:22).

His voice thunders with glory, His voice is over the waters (Ps 29:3).

His voice is powerful, full of majesty, He breaks strong cedars (Ps 29:5).

His voice flashes forth flames of fire, shaking the wilderness (Ps 29:7-8).

He sends out His voice, His mighty voice (Ps 68:33).

His voice is like the sound of many waters (Rev 1:15).

His voice has glorified and will glorify His name (John 12:28).

His voice shakes heaven and earth (Heb 12:26).

His voice is not always in an earthquake and fire but in the sound of a low whisper (1 Kings 19:12).

His voice declares the dwelling place of God is with man (Rev 21:3).

His voice invites us to return to Himself - the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25).

Lord, may we become familiar with Your voice, Your tone, Your cadence, and Your quiet.  May we know Your voice, love Your voice, and obey Your voice.  Speak Lord, Amen.

Listening,

AB

June 15: Tuesday Refocus

“Most Scriptures speak to us, the Psalms speak for us.” —Athanasius

Every experience of being human is represented in the Psalms.  

Fear and peace (Ps 56:3, Ps 91).  

Sorrow and joy (Ps 16:4,11).  

Pain and triumph (Ps 40, Ps 59:10)

And everything in between.

One of the things I find so profoundly moving is that Jesus, being fully God, put on our flesh and bone, and stepped into our brokenness.  Although Jesus was not broken on the inside the way you and I are broken, Jesus uses the Psalms to give voice to his experience of inhabiting a human body.  And we see this clearly on the cross - of all of the ways that the God-man could express His heart at that moment, He uses our words - ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46).

Wherever you are in your journey of faith, you can look to the Psalms to give voice to your experience.  And you can look to your Savior, who this very moment inhabits a fully glorified human body, like the one that will be ours when our sojourning is over, and we see our Savior face-to-face (Phil 3:21).

Jesus, we look to You - the one who has taken on our skin and sin.  The One who uses Your Spirit-inspired words to give voice to your experience.  The One who is able to empathize with us as our Great High Priest - and we are grateful to You, and for You.  In Your name, amen.

Looking,

AB

December 24: Tuesday Refocus

‘Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.’ Hebrews 1:1-2

He is the God who speaks, who has always been speaking.  With His Word He spoke the world into being, and by its power the universe is upheld (Gen 1:3, Heb 1:3).  Jesus is the Word made flesh (Jn 1:14).

He tore the veil of time.  

He tore the temple veil.

He does not dwell behind temple veils, 

or in houses made by human hands, 

because His dwelling place is with man.  

He is Emmanuel, God with us.

(Matt 27:51, Acts 17:24-25, Rev 21:3, Is 7:14)

God with us is the Word who took on flesh and blood, and His blood speaks a better word (Heb 12:24).  This Word is good news to the poor, binding to the brokenhearted, and liberty to the captives (Is 61:1).

Lord, You are the Word made flesh, given to us in love, absolutely true. You have come, You are coming again, and we wait for You. In Jesus name, amen.

 Merry Christmas, 

AB