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Monday, July 20, 2026

Recognizing the Voice

 

Readings 072026 


This weekend reminded me how a voice can be recognized  

even when the face is blurred.  

A young man—once a kid in the halls with my daughter—  

stood in church as I baptized his child.  

And one of his classmates said to me,  

“I couldn’t see you…  

but I knew your voice.”  


My daughter said,

everybody at school was afraid of you.
Her husband, in disbelief said,

“They were afraid of your dad?’


And it struck me:  

many people know God like that.  

They carry an old opinion of Him—  

shaped by fear,  

distance,  

misunderstanding.  

They hear something familiar in His voice,  

but they cannot yet see Him clearly.  


Today’s readings tell us why.  

Micah says God is the One  

who removes guilt,  

casts our sins into the sea,  

and delights in mercy.   

The Psalm says He restores, forgives,  

and withdraws His anger.   

And Jesus says the true sign of God  

is not spectacle,  

but the mercy revealed in His own life—  

the greater‑than‑Jonah love  

that enters the depths for us.   


So maybe the eyes of the heart  

open slowly—  

through remembering His mercy,  

walking humbly,  

refusing to harden ourselves,  

and seeing Christ  

as the sign of God’s love.  


And when that happens,  

we don’t just recognize His voice—  

we finally see His face. 


I give thanks for the grace 

Of being able to see his face. 


Prayer 

Lord Jesus Christ , 

Soften the places in me 

that have grown stiff with worry.  

Let Your mercy be the light 

that steadies my steps.  

Teach my heart to recognize Your voice 

in every moment.  

Hold me close 

when I cannot yet see clearly.  

And lead me deeper into the love 

that never lets go.  

Amen


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