Scripture Scribbles: June 18, 2023

the Gospel

Matthew 9:36—10:8

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples,

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples

and gave them authority over unclean spirits

to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

The names of the twelve apostles are these:

first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;

James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;

Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,

“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.

Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

the devotion

The other day I rose early and slipped out of the dark bedroom, my newborn and husband still sleeping in my wake. I felt a deep desire to go and spend some dedicated alone time with the Lord.

I could feel Him beckoning to my soul, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”

I sat on my front porch and let the early squeaks of sun warm my face. I took a deep breath in, held it for a moment, and let it out slowly.

My prayer life has been a little all over the place lately. Welcoming your first child will do that to you, I hear. I’ve been stealing moments whenever I can throughout my day. I’ve found the time, usually while nursing, but a moment truly alone with the Lord is a rarity.

I still my heart and make the sign of the Cross. I open my heart for Him to speak, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” What do you have for me today?

After a moment of silence, I hear Him very clearly:

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

I smile. My heart swells.

So fitting. Such has been life lately.

I feel so abundantly blessed, so filled with gratitude, that I find it difficult to put into words. Motherhood has been such a rich, beautiful, deeply transformative experience. I think maybe it is so difficult to put into words because it is so much more than words allow.

It reminds me of my conversion experience. It reminds me of being in relationship with the Lord.

“Taste and see”

Sometimes I think it can be easy to forget that we have a God who wants us not only to have life, as Paul points out in today’s second reading, but to have it “abundantly” (John 10:10).

As I sit and reflect upon this Gospel today, all that surges up within me is deep, deep gratitude. Gratitude for a God who is so immensely abundant. One who sees the sheep without a shepherd and summons the Twelve to gather the flock. One who dies for them so that they can have life. One who delights in delighting us.

He desires for us to be filled with goodness. We will not be without suffering in this broken world, but we can be at peace. And the blessings that flow from dwelling in Him are simply too good to put into words. We are constantly bombarded with news, media, and imagery sharing all of the disparities. And to be sure, there are many. But let us not ever lose sight of the Savior. The Good Shepherd who has already laid down His life so that we can live.

He’s already had the last word. And He wants us to taste and see that He is truly so, so good. Not only in the next life, but right now.

So today, friend, I invite you to taste and see that the Lord is good. Find Him in your everyday moments; in a friend’s laugh or a stranger’s smile—or your newborn’s cuddles. Slow down and take a moment to taste and see Him in your life. To live the abundance that He is offering you.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!”

Psalm 34:8

Today’s devotion is written by Rachel Smith