Excerpt from Isaiah 48:17-21

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy one of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go. O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea."

Reflection by Felix Carrion

In June I was at the Pike Place Market in Seattle where I sampled a peach. The peach was so intensely good that I said, "Oh my God."  The gentleman who cut me the piece responded, "'Oh my God' is in three weeks. These are simply amazing."
How could something this simple be so good?! How could something this good get even better?!

In the order of creation, this "good,"  this goodness, is first. We know this because from Genesis we learn that God declared his/her creation to be good. Of us, she said, "very good." However, we can come to know this not because of what we have been told, even if it does come from the scriptures, but because we finally get to pay attention to and experience the "good" of our essence,  our being,  our innate structure.

The essence of the goodness of the peach was already in the peach. The essence of the goodness was the peach.

When this passage speaks of God teaching us for our own good, I believe it is referring to our protection, our prosperity, our posterity, both spiritually and materially. And yet, these aspects of a good life pale in comparison to the deeper good that we are. This is why I believe makes a comparison, to give depth to this good:  "Then your prosperity would have been like a river and your success like the waves of the sea."  If I may take a moment of indulgence: like the peach.

Like something you've never experienced before because you simply did not know it was there or have neglected it far too long. So, pay attention now. It's for "your own good".

Prayer

O God, why is it so hard to believe that what you have created is good, very good! Far too long we have listened to others. It's time to listen to you. For you know better; and so can we. Amen.

About the Author Felix Carrion is Coordinator of The Stillspeaking Ministry, United Church of Christ.

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