Devotional

Though the mountains be shaken

    and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”

    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10

We build our mountains out of many things, don’t we?

We build mountains out of careers, out of wealth, out of success, out of beauty, out of family.

Carefully, we pour our effort into constructing these monuments to our human experience,

ever higher,

hoping the majesty we leave behind will inspire and make a lasting difference.

This will be my legacy.

This is evidence of a meaningful life.

This will stand, unassailed. 

But we are incorrect. This is a world of mirage.

It turns out these mountains are closer to gossamer than stone,

trailing through our grasping fingers.

Nothing we build in this world is eternal.

The unshakable can be shaken.

The hills can unthinkably be removed without warning. It can happen in an instant.

And as we crawl from the rubble of our misguided human aim, bruised and brokenhearted,

what remains?

What do we do when even breathing our next breath feels hard?

We must finally remember our name. 

We remember Adoni has carved it upon the palm of His hand,

and we will not be forsaken.

And in that stillpoint, 

we feel Yahweh’s unwavering tenderness 

come to uphold and uplift us,

tilting our faces gently upward 

toward the beneficent Light,

whispering comforting wisdom quietly in our ear.

And we finally remember our name. 

Selah

When have you found yourself sitting at the stillpoint?

Could you hear and feel the surrounding love of God?

How did that moment shape you?

What did Yahweh speak into your soul? 

Yahweh,  

Forgive us for sometimes forgetting who we are.

Believing in our own accomplishment, taking pride in sandcastles. 

You have met us in the ash and raised our faces.

You pour your peace over us and wash away our tears.

You tirelessly mend our broken hearts by inches and degrees. 

Lord, we want to remain forever in the hollow of your hand and be animated only to do your will.

Show us how to love like you love.

Although we are weary, use us to bring peace into this world.

Give us what we need to joyfully serve who we can. 

Your provision is enough. 

Your will is my will. 

Show me how. 

Lead me forward. 

Fill me with your love. 

Amen.