Get to Know Him

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, October 22nd, 2023:
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Isaiah
45.1, 4-6 

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him — and the gates shall not be closed:

“For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; besides me there is no god. I arm you, though you do not know me, so that all may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is no one besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Cyrus was a Persian ruler who was chosen by God to deliver Israel from captivity, and this section of the book of Isaiah is essentially about God’s sovereignty to choose whatever and whomever He wishes to do His work. 

God’s wisdom here is that there is probably a “Cyrus” character in each of our lives. 
When I think back on my life story, there are certainly people I can think of who acted in ways that indicated God’s presence with me, even though that may not have been their conscious motivation. The person who is showing us the path to God could be obvious, but it could also be the one we least expect – the unlikely prophet, perhaps even the one who is least attractive to our worldly minds.

I believe that we are all made in the image of the Divine; we all recognize God and seek Him on some level. As Isaiah prophesies, even if we don’t know Him, He is imprinted on our hearts – He fights for us and cares for us. But when we worship other gods, such as self-reliance, control, comfort, judgment… the list goes on and on… our view of Him is obscured and peace is more elusive.

It follows, then, that seeking to know God better should be our life’s work, first and foremost. An honest and thoughtful submission to God is going to lead us toward healing, toward the fulfillment of our dreams and passions, and will help others to do the same. 

So, consider this: if God called the name of Cyrus, though he didn’t know Him, God must be calling yours too, whether you know Him or not. My advice, for what it’s worth? Get to know Him better. You never know what He might do, with you and with the rest of the world.




Lindsay Elford

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