.

Another reading of just two verses – but what a message!

“Thus says the Lord:
‘As the rain and the snow
come down from the heavens
and do not return
without watering the earth,
making it yield
and giving growth
to provide seed for the sower
and bread for the eating,
so the word that goes
from my mouth
does not return to me empty,
without carrying out my will
and succeeding
in what it was sent to do.”

Notice that all the effort in this passage is the action of God: God is speaking, God is sending rain and snow, God is making it yield, God is giving growth, God is providing seed for the sower, God is providing bread for the eating, God is giving power to His word, God is carrying out His will, God is succeeding.

When we struggle to hear the divine voice through other people we can open ourselves to a bigger and cosmic perspective noticing the divine presence and activity in the life of the cosmos: the heavens from where the rain falls to give life to the seeds which produce the harvest that we might eat.

I’ve been pondering this bigger perspective in recent days and recalled this wonderful 2012 image of the earth taken 18.5 billion kilometres into space after a thirty year journey for the Voyager I expedition.

It’s a great moment in personal human maturity when we each realise that none of us and not even all of us together are the centre of the universe. By divine design we are each created – and our smallness is a refreshing gift for those who relax into this God-centred perspective.

And my prayer whenever I accept my created-ness, is with every other sister and brother, friend, neighbour and enemy…

…a united and therefore unifying Our Father.

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Upcoming Cafe Gatherings:

Send a name, date, place and time and I’ll share your invitation. Just initiate a gathering, send me the info, and turn up to meet with anyone else who wants to take an hour to chat about their experience of God.

Wednesday 25 February 2026 10.00am
Stumble Inn, 200 Mangorei Road, Merrilands, New Plymouth
Joan

Wednesday 25 February 2026 10:30am
Zenders Cafe and Venue 44 Hopkins Rd Newstead, Hamilton
Christina

Thursday 5 March 2026 10.30am
The Cafe at Harrison’s Pekapeka Rd Waikanae
Catherine