Psalm 145:9
The LORD (Yahweh God) is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
What kind of God do we have? Some words that come to my mind are: Awesome! Extravagant! Creator God—compassionate, caring, loving, welcoming! Provider God for his creation—all people!
In Isaiah 55 is the picture of God inviting all to a feast where everything is free! Come, God says, come as you are, no limitations to social standing or dress codes! Come with your thirsty throats and empty bellies, weak bodies, broken hearts, and uncertain future.
God, who came to earth as Jesus that we might know God and learn how to live in God’s kingdom on earth, says,
“Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy & eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1)
What an extravagant God! As the TV ad says, “Some things are priceless!” This is the invitation: “Come…for I, your God, know what you need before you even ask. I am the One who created you. I will provide.”
When we lived in Vilnius, Lithuania, we met a homeless man. Jerome trusted that promise of God. How he learned it, I do not know. But each day he made his way to the garbage cans behind our apartment. He would scrounge through the leftover food to find his daily bread. We came to know his routine and so began to make an extra sandwich or such to set out next to the garbage cans for his food.
We never let him know who provided it. On Sundays, he’d come to church and sit in the back of the building: hearing God’s Word, praying, and listening to the music. It was in English and he did not speak the language. But Jerome was there. Afterwards, he’d stay for coffee and cookies. He found a place where he was welcome. Other churches had sent him away—he smelled badly, and they suspected he only came for the food.
God says, “You shall call nations that you do not know… because of the Lord your God…” God who provides, invites us into his presence and walks with us daily (Isaiah 55:5).
God also has a directive: “Go and tell others about me and the free gifts I give of hope, peace, and love. Invite those who are not like you...from other nations, cultures, economic brackets, races, even those with unusual quirks or lifestyles, into your circle of friends as Jesus did. Bring them into your home or house of worship…so that you may get to know them as you listen to them, and you will see why they are special to me just as you are special to me. Share your spiritual stories with one another…and praise God together!” Read Psalm 145 which affirms who God is: gracious, compassionate, patient, loving, and good to all!
Prayer: God of hope and promise, help us to be your hands of love as we share what we have with others. Give us compassion so we constantly live as you would have us live. Amen.
Song: “Let Streams of Living Justice” by William Whitla ELW 710
Tyger Penson