Swords And Arrows

Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory.

Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, that Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; and I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 49:1-6)

“The LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb.” “The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”  With this understanding we all should be like God’s sharp-edged sword or polished arrow, not to do violence but to serve God with justice and mercy in mind never wavering from the truth and doing that which is right.  Regrettably, too many do what is wrong, and we know we are guilty.

None of us can be “light to the nations,” but we can be light to our families, friends, and communities through compassion, good will, and charity.  When we are, we make ourselves glorious in the sight of the LORD, while relying on God who is our strength.

Let’s wield our swords and let our arrows fly for Jesus and all for which he stands as described in Matthew 25:  For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ What you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life”

Which “eternal” will we choose?

Deacon David Pierce