Proverbs 3:27-34 Psalms 15:2-3a, 3bc-4ab, 5 Luke 8:16-18

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

THOSE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD

A friend of mine once said she would like her tombstone to read:
She was a woman of Integrity.

This, for me, captures these readings, as does
Take care, then, how you hear from Luke.

All of today’s readings speak of listening well to God’s voice, seeking truth, living just lives and being humble.

In our world today, in the U.S. with elections coming, we need to listen well and seek the truth.
We can see all around us instances of injustice, of betrayal, of –isms that deny the human spirit: consumerism, racism, sexism, etc. All of our world’s problems seem daunting.

Jesus’ words:
“take care, then, how you hear”
are a call to listen to Jesus, to God’s call to our hearts. We are not only to hear God’s call to be women and men of integrity and justice. We also need to live with truth and love. My, how awesome a task of life.

It is best seen in the little ways we live and encounter one another daily. A student recently said, as a reflection on her clinical experience, “my patients taught me so much about myself. I grew while serving them”. Another student told a story of how she had to advocate for a patient who needed some more extensive therapy.

We each are invited in our own way to serve the needs of others: to listen to, to hear, to serve! It is a blessing. It requires though that we listen to and own our God-given gifts and to use them. Our world is going to be changed for the better…and for the good of all, as each one of us owns our own truth and gifts and gives them to others.
Be women and men of Integrity and Service.