A Child Born FOR Us
Isaiah 9:2-7 (NRSV) 2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
4 For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
It scarcely seems possible, but we are just five days away from celebrating Christmas. In the midst of our preparations, I would ask that we take a moment to prepare our hearts for the real Christmas, and few verses carry the meaning of Christmas like Isaiah 9.
The prophet Isaiah gives us a glimpse of the coming King, and he reminds the Jewish people that not only had they lived in the darkness of being held captive in a foreign land, but their souls had grown dark. God’s chosen people needed the light that can only come from the Son of the Living God.
“And He is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.” At a time when life seemed hopeless for the children of God, Jesus came and nothing has ever been the same.
Is the world still filled with darkness? Undoubtedly it is, yet because of Jesus we have a blessed hope that His light can overcome the darkness. Because of Jesus we can be assured that our circumstances do not have to destroy us. Because of Jesus we understand that the miracle of Christmas is still alive.
As we count down the days and the hours to December 25, may we take time to focus on the reason for the season, and may we continue to look forward to His return. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Father God, help us to put aside some time each day to spend time with You, to remember that Christmas was when the light came into the world, and that light has never been diminished. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Accepting What Is
Be Still and KNOW that I Am God
Psalms 46 (NRSV)
God’s Defense of His City and People
To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah
Here we are again, in the midst of the Christmas rush. Yet, if we will redirect our attention away from the hustle and bustle and toward God, He urges us to be still.
Psalm 46 was written during a time of war. The Assyrians were a mighty war machine, mowing down the cities and even kingdoms that lay before them. This psalm reminds the people that even in the darkest hour, God is our refuge, our hiding place, and he is our strength. Pause for a moment and think of what these words can mean in your life today.
When we look at the circumstances that surround us, we see reason for fear. But God does not want His children to live in fear. So we are reminded that there is a river that flows from the throne of God, What does that river bring? In Revelation 22 we are told it brings life. There may be death and destruction all around us, but God offers life.
Is there a way to live trouble-free while we are in this world? We know there is not. But it is not our troubles that define us, it is the way we react to everything around us. When we live in fear, we are not trusting in God. When we live in constant fighting, we are not allowing God to bring peace. When relationships shatter, we forget that grace coves a multitude of sins.
When we are told to be still, it is not an instruction to rest, to do nothing, but instead, we are being told to recognize that God is sovereign, He is our King, He is our deliverer. When we pause to consider the works of God, to remember He is our very present help in the time of need, then the troubles which overwhelm us begin to shrink in proportion to who God is.
Today, I invite you to “be still, and know that He is God.” In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Father God, may we pause today, in the midst of everything going on in our lives, and understand just what it means to be able to approach you and call you “Father.” Instead of going ahead of you and asking you to bless our plans, may we come to you first, asking you to place the right plans and desires within our hearts. In jesus’ name, amen.
To Whom Do We Give Thanks
1 Chronicles 16:8-10 (NRSV) 8 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him,
tell of all his wonderful works.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Larry and I just returned from a visit up north to our son and daughter-in-law. As a pastor, I was asked to give thanks for our Thanksgiving meal and, of course, was glad to do so. It was a rare treat to visit our family in Maine, and we had a great time.
I have been thinking a lot about giving thanks. This particular scripture is an account of the festival celebrating the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. The praises offered here give us a model for the manner in which we should praise the Lord our God.
When we give thanks to God we are to call on His name. Too many people today, if they give thanks and praise at all, choose to thank the universe, or perhaps some unknown entity. I entered into a discussion on Facebook over the Thanksgiving holiday regarding the level of discomfort people who are not Christians are made to feel when dining with Christ followers. Whether they are atheists and have no belief at all, or agnostic and simply claim not to know enough to believe or disbelieve, they made it quite clear that they can hardly stand to be in the presence of Christian prayer.
Instead, they prefer to thank “Mother Earth,” (say yuck three times) or the “Source of all”, and any mention of Jesus, the Christ, sends them spinning. I stated I had a difficult time understanding how we give thanks to a being that has no name. You see, to me, one of the wonderful things about being a Christ follower is the intimacy of the relationship we are offered.
After hearing the point of view of those who have a great disdain for Christians and our traditions of praying before our meals, I purposed that from now on, if I am in a gathering where people of other faiths (or no faith) might be present, I will offer my prayer of thanks to my God, but preface my prayer by offering those who do not believe as I do a moment of silent prayer. You see, even though our challenge is to spread the gospel throughout the world, we will never make a difference by utilizing our faith as a stick with which to beat unbelievers over the head!
David had one of the most intimate relationships with God that can exist. He was the apple of God’s eye as we see in 1 Samuel 16. Was David perfect? We know he was not, yet he had a perfect love for God. When David called his people together to celebrate the return of the Ark, he did so with prayer and with singing, extolling God for all of His wonderful works. And, he reminded us that if we seek God with our hearts, then the necessary response is to praise Him with all of our hearts. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Father God, today we come to you offering the thanks that you deserve. While our minds are limited by our ability to understand your ways, our hearts are filled by the Holy Spirit and it is He Who illumines our understanding. May our hearts be full of praise each and every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Seek the Lord early…
[Isa 55:1-9 RSV] 1 “Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5 Behold, you shall call nations that you know not, and nations that knew you not shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
I LOVE Isaiah. Traditionally, the book was thought to have been written by one man. However, current thinking is that there were three different writers of this book. Why? Over the past two hundred years, scholars believed that, because the book spans so many years in Jewish history, it could not have been penned only one man. I will tell you it matters not to me whether Isaiah was written by one man or a dozen men. Isaiah is one of the richest books in the Bible and there is wisdom and encouragement throughout.
Isaiah is divided into three groups–Chapters 1-39 include Isaiah’s call to be a prophet (Isaiah 6) and continues to warn Judah of the consequences of turning from God. Beginning with Chapter 40, Isaiah is speaking to those in Babylon and he begins by telling them their bondage is almost over. This section continues from Chapter 40 to Chapter 55, where we will find several allusions to Jesus Christ. The last part of Isaiah is found in Chapters 56-66, and during this time frame the Israelites are trying to rebuild Jerusalem.
Notice how Isaiah begins the 55th Chapter, “Ho, everyone who thirsts come to the waters…” This language would be similar to our saying, “Hey,” or “Listen to me!” He begins by calling out to those who have no money but are hungry and thirsty. Doesn’t that remind you of Jesus? I love how we find Jesus in every book of the Bible.
Isaiah then warns not to spend our money on things that do not satisfy. You see, trying to fill our longing with things instead of with Jesus is not a 21st century problem, it is a human nature problem. And then God, through Isaiah, says to listen to Him, seek Him out while He may be found. Don’t you love that?
I have considered this beckoning by God and the advice to seek Him while He may be found. We know that God is always near, but there are too many occasions in our lives where we are distracted and unable to focus on God. However, it is imperative that we approach God from a place where we recognize who He is and how much He loves each one of us. The covenant God made with David is not so dissimilar from the covenant of salvation that He has made with each of us through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah ends this section by reminding us that God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than what we can imagine. Yet, even today we continue to try to make God into our image instead of allowing Him to make us into His likeness. I would ask that each of us read these verses not once, not twice, but three times. And then just meditate on how our God, our Creator, never ceases reaching out to us. And, know that just because we have limited understanding, God is never limited. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Father God, we ask that You would give us the desire to seek you, to find you, and to follow you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
