When God Speaks Through the Lowly

Today’s readings.

One of the recurring ways God works in Scripture is by letting his word come through those who seem least important in the eyes of the world. The first reading from today tells us that Naaman’s first movement toward healing comes from a slave girl who pointed him toward God’s prophet. 

We live in a world that teaches us to look upward for wisdom: to the wealthy, the powerful, the accomplished, the successful, the ones in the boardroom, or at the leadership table. Of course there is value with learning from gifted and competent people. But Scripture reminds us that this is not always how God communicates. God often speaks through the lowly, the overlooked, the ones without status, because his ways do not align with our instinct for prestige. Our lenten practices should shape us into people humble enough to receive truth, correction, and grace from voices we might normally pass over. Sometimes the word that begins our healing comes from the person the world would least notice.

Today’s Practice — Prayer:

Pray today for humility in listening. Ask the Lord very simply: “Give me the grace to receive what you want to say, especially if it comes through someone I would normally overlook.” Then, as you move through the day, try to keep that prayer close to your heart. Before a conversation, pause for a moment and ask for the humility to listen without filtering everything through status, preference, or your own assumptions.