March 9, 2025

Job 42:5-6
And it says:
My ears had heard about you, but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore, I relent and find comfort in dust and ashes.

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O God, we’ve all heard about you!

We’ve heard about how you spoke
and things came into being!
We heard about you defeated your enemies!
We heard how you spoke to the prophets of old.

The Bible is replete
with all kinds of incidences
of where you spoke and something happened.
So, we’ve heard about you.

But there comes a time
where we have to know you
for ourselves!
Grandmama can tell us,
mama can tell us, dad can tell us,
the preacher can tell us.
But we have got to know you for ourselves.

And so Job says, “I relent and find comfort in dust and ashes.”
That to which we shall return.

We can go in peace,
because now we have heard about you for ourselves.

We know that you have answered us
in our time of need and distress.

We know how you have filled us
to overflowing in our hearts
when life was so overwhelming.

We have seen
what you have done for our families;
those who were way, way away from you
in addictions, and in behaviors
that were not pleasing to you.
And though we prayed for ten years,
and twenty years and thirty years,
O God, you heard us and brought them back.
And we say thank you!

We can now go to our graves in rest!
Back to dust and to ashes.

We have seen the healing of nations,
we have seen the healing of individuals,
we have seen the healing of churches and communities.

We have seen
how you have come and stood among us
following tornados and hurricanes,
and floods and fires.
And how you have given inspiration and hope,
and sometimes even joy in the midst of our challenges.
You have done that!

So we can go to our graves,
dust and ashes
knowing that there is a God
and that there is no one like him.

And so today we pause, to say “Thank You!”

For allowing our ears to hear
and our eyes to see
and our hearts to understand.

Bless us this day!
Speak to the ears that listen for a word;
whether from a friend or a neighbor,
or someone is a store…
or whether you whisper quietly
as we lay down on our beds.

Speak, O God, for your people are listening
to hear a word that only you can give.

And we pray in the Name of Him
who rose from the grave, Jesus Christ!

Amen.