Today is Tuesday the 23 February, in the first week of Lent.

The community of Taizé sing De noche iremos: ‘By night we search for the source of living water. It is only our thirst that guides our way.’ This time of prayer is an opportunity to quench that thirst a little - my thirst for God, the source of life - a chance to drink from the spring, from the source of living water, and be refreshed.

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 55:10-11

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

This passage starts with an image. It’s an image of watered earth bringing forth new growth. You’ll know what that’s like, in fields or gardens, or even in a window-box! Take a moment to let that picture develop in your mind’s eye.

Isaiah says that God’s word has the same effect in our lives as water has on dry ground. Where in your own life just now can you see God’s word helping you to grow and bear fruit?

Listen, as you hear the passage again, to the confidence that Isaiah shows. He’s in no doubt that what God wants to happen will indeed come about.

You might want, finally, to thank God for how fruitful God’s word is in your life. Or to bring to God seemingly barren areas of your experience that still need to hear God’s productive word.