Tag: God

A Child Will Lead Them

Eighteenth Day of Advent

Isaiah 11:1-10 (NIV 2011)
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD – and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and the little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner over the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

Financial problems, chronic pain, emotional hurt – these struggles seem to intensify as Christmas approaches. We wonder if God’s promises of peace and joy are out of our grasp. However, God has a plan bigger than we can imagine. These are days to look at our lives through the lens of our eternal tomorrows. Judah’s problems made God’s promise of a Messiah seem impossible. Life for God’s people in Judah held destruction, pain and hardship. Had God forsaken them? No, God had a plan bigger than they could imagine. The promise of a Messiah from the family line of David, son of Jesse was good because God is faithful to His word. As a tree stump grows shoots of new life after a fire so new life would come from God’s people. The Messiah, Jesus Christ would bless the people with the peace of God and transform their lives.

The Messiah’s peaceful rule will one day transform the earth. A day is coming when the wolf, leopard and lion will no longer hunt the lamb, goat and calf. A small child will be safe with wild animals and snakes. What God has promised, He will do. Looking to the future we have every reason not to fear, every reason to be peaceful, joyful people. He is able to transform your anguish into peace. This Christmas will you begin to look at your days through the lens of all your glorious eternal tomorrows?

Barbara Reaoch

Re: Verse reading – John 6:25-51

Ecstatic Joy

Fifteenth Day of Advent

Psalm 89:1-4 (Message)

1-4 Your love, God, is my song, and I’ll sing it!
I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are.
I’ll never quit telling the story of your love—
how you built the cosmos
and guaranteed everything in it.
Your love has always been our lives’ foundation,
your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
You once said, “I joined forces with my chosen leader,
I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying,
‘Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life;
I’ll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.’”

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one…” Psalm 89:3

“Jesus Christ is the object of everything, and the center to which everything tends. Whoever knows him knows the reason for everything.” –Blaise Pascal

“I’ll rise and fall with you, ’cause you can’t fail me now.” –Joe Henry

There are and will come again times in our lives when we’re stricken with a suffering that we can’t surmount. These trials don’t exist in vacuums: they always pull back the curtain to reveal our ever-present and profound dissatisfaction with the world and ourselves. The psalmists are certainly no strangers to this, and they groan under their imperfections while waiting for God to fulfill His climactic promise to their people. Yet, in the midst of their agonized waiting, they also can ecstatically rejoice in the love of God. As Psalm 89 shows us, this is because they cling to the words of God’s promise, Whom He will reveal as Jesus, His divine Word made flesh. Christ, through His own sorrows, transfigures the psalmist’s earthly pain into heavenly joy, and He does exactly the same for us. By inviting us into his life, Christ also invites us into His suffering so that He can freely lead us into His happiness. Right now He is waiting to transform our tears into glories. Let us wait in faith and love with Him, so that we might fully know Him.

Garner Richardson

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Be still…

Thirteenth Day of Advent

Psalm 46:10-11 (ESV)

10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

The current culture has conditioned us to think and believe that waiting or being still is unproductive. There is an immense demand to always be on task and shortening the “to-do list”. We feel this tension in restaurants, traffic jams, and grocery stores. To a degree, we all “hate to wait”. We have come to believe that waiting is a waste of time.

Scripture teaches that waiting is not wasting when we are still (waiting) before the Lord. Why? When we are still and quiet before the Lord, we begin to discover and understand more about Him. We become aware of His Deity and Authority. The scope of His Rule and His Reign becomes clearer and larger. Finally, we are convinced of His Goodness (He is near and present) and His Strength (we are safe and secure). “Be still, and …”

Scott Lane

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Forever Family

Twelfth Day of Advent

Galatians 4:4-7 The Message (MSG)

4-7 But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.

Two years ago, my daughter Kate and I had the privilege to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa and work with an organization called the Door of Hope, a group dedicated to taking in abandoned children and loving them until they are placed with a “forever family.” Each time a child is adopted, a celebration takes place. Photo displays of happy children and excited families cover the walls in the baby houses. The process is a beautiful illustration of God’s love—the kind of love Paul is addressing in this passage. Paul is explaining that the Gentiles, because of the arrival and work of Christ, no longer needed to wait for someone to find them a forever family. The rights and privileges of being called a child of God were extended to all, despite the conditions of their birth. The same is true for all of us today: once we accept this gift of grace, the Savior of the world calls us His child, and we can intimately call him Abba, Father, Papa, Daddy. As in Johannesburg, there are millions today who have been abandoned by either an earthly parent, or the world in general. As we prepare to celebrate the Nativity, let us pray that we, as believers, will serve to be a Door of Hope, introducing those in need to an eternal parent and forever family.

Laura Aten

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Just Believe

Eleventh Day of Advent

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 NASB)

It has always been easy for me to define myself by my works. If you perform well one day, you have done well; if you perform poorly another day, you have not done well. This works-based thinking easily pours over into our spiritual lives if we aren’t careful. Have you ever felt further or nearer to God based on your works? I do, quite often. The gospel seeks to destroy a works-based lifestyle. John 3:16 will utterly ruin a legalist. Think about how the Pharisees (exemplary legalists) felt in John 6 when they simply wanted to know how to perfectly perform the works of God. To their inquiry Jesus essentially replies: “Believe.” That’s it?! All I have to do is believe? Reliance on your works will only get you so far. Reliance on His work will get you to heaven. It’s no longer about how faithful you can gather yourself to be; it’s about how faithful He is. It’s no longer about how hard you try to know Him, but about how much He knows you. If you change your perspective, then your entire life will change. You will find more freedom than you have ever found. Jesus’ answer is: just believe.

Chris Butler

Re: Verse reading – John 3:1-21

Waiting

Seventh Day of Advent

Isaiah 40:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV)
Comfort for God’s People
40
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

After 39 chapters of warning and woe, Isaiah received a message of redemption and restoration that would offer encouragement to the Jews in exile as they waited.
Centuries later John the Baptist called people back to the Lord using the same message to a people still waiting.
Today, this call to action challenges us to get ready for the coming Messiah. While they were waiting for the Promised One, preparation was necessary. As we wait especially during this Advent Season, there are things we can do to get ready, not only to celebrate His first coming as a baby, but also to anticipate His ultimate coming as Conquering King.

Straighten the road of our hearts and lives in preparation for spiritual renewal.

Knock down the mountains by repenting of sins, busyness, and distractions.

Smooth and level the soil of our hearts so that nothing will hinder God’s work in and through us.

Isaiah foresaw the day when God would say, “your sin is paid for, I’ve accepted your sacrifice, it’s time to go home.” This is the good news of the Gospel; our just God is full of mercy and grace for those who wait on Him.

Jane Witcher

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18

Remember

Sixth Day of Advent

Isaiah 46:9-11, New American Standard Version

9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.”

When my children were small, Christmas Eve at my parents’ home was all-out. Two glowing trees, mistletoe, candles, music, and a formal turkey dinner, followed by flaming plum pudding, shiny crackers popped and paper crowns worn. Then into the living room to read Luke 2 and exchange our gifts. Later, we told stories by firelight.

The Advent season often triggers memories of former things long past…childhood homes, deceased loved ones, traditions no longer observed, our own former wide-eyed wonder. Nostalgia makes us mourn for what seems forever lost.

Do you think of your relationship to God that way, too? Do you only vaguely recall a time when He seemed very near, when you had a strong sense of His direction and comfort?

Unlike our shifting experiences and perspectives, God’s character remains unchanged. He is sovereign and has a plan, ordaining world leaders and future events. God stands outside time, observing and orchestrating the past, present, and future simultaneously. Mind-boggling, scary—and at the same time, reassuring. The God you know and love can be trusted with your future. And what a future: Advent remembers awaiting the Messiah’s birth and anticipates His return. God will surely bring it to pass!

Susan Spoon

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18

He Never Fails

Fifth Day of Advent

Isaiah 40:27-31 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
27 Jacob, why do you say,
and Israel, why do you assert:
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my claim is ignored by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Yahweh is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the whole earth.
He never grows faint or weary;
there is no limit to His understanding.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Youths may faint and grow weary,
and young men stumble and fall,
31 but those who trust in the Lord
will renew their strength;
they will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary;
they will walk and not faint.

We are prone to spiritual weakness. We are prone to stumble in our faith. Isaiah 40:29-31 gives us a picture of our weakness and the strength and endurance that we lack as human beings. There are times that we all come upon that challenge in our faith. There are times that we find out just how weak we are. We face an unrelenting enemy that seeks to devour us at every turn.

This text uses the analogy of a “youth”; i.e. someone in the prime of his or her life. This is usually a time when someone is at his or her greatest prowess. Yet, there is a certainty of stumbling and falling in the text. It is the same for us spiritually. At our strongest point, we are weak. The idea is that even the strongest of us will surely fall. We are prone to weakness. Even the greatest theologian in the world is going to fail in faith.

There is a promise within this text, though. Verses 28 and 29 give us a base of understanding for verse 31. God will never fail. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Though our faith fails sometimes, God does not. He never faints. He never gets weary. We need strength, and God gives that to us. There are times that we will grow weary. There are times that we will faint and we will be weak. But the Lord renews us. He gives us the strength that we need to rise back up and begin running again.

Our prayer for you today is that you would rely on the Lord for your strength. May you hope in the Lord and in the strength, renewal, and redemption that He brings as we think of the reason we celebrate Christmas.

Jimmy Gunn

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18

Watch Expectantly

Second Day of Advent

Micah 7:7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
God Is the Source of Salvation and Light

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.

Have you ever looked forward to seeing someone? You wait. You watch. As the anticipation of their arrival grows you begin to pace, stopping occasionally to look out the window. You listen for the sound of a car coming down the street. Finally you see them and you can no longer contain your joy as you rush out to greet them.
The prophet Micah wrote “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” The people of Israel were in a season of anticipation and longing for the arrival of the Messiah who would save them from their sins.
For us The Messiah has come!
Advent is a time to focus on that coming. Like waiting for someone to arrive it provides us a time clothed in waiting, anticipation and hope.
Advent leads us to remember the hope of God’s people in the Old Testament as they longed and cried out to God for the Messiah, the one who would be their salvation.
Advent leads us to realign our lives with our own desperate need for a Savior to save us from our sins. It reminds us of the cost the Savior paid for our salvation.
Advent leads us to recognize the need to watch and wait with longing like the Israelites as we anticipate His second coming.
Advent leads us to prepare our hearts to invite Christ into our Christmas celebrations. For without the Advent of the Christ, there is no need for a celebration.

Donna Bowman

Re: Verse reading – John 1:1-18

In season and out

Re: Verse reading–2 Timothy 4:1-8, 16-18 (day six)
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”—v 2.
Paul knows how this fight will go. (see v 7)  He knows that Pastor Timothy will have good seasons (literal reading– eukarios) and bad seasons (akarios).  Ministry (life) will always be a mixture of ups and downs.  Highs and lows, neither of which can have too much influence on the servant of God.  Our task and commitment remains constant in both environments.  We preach the word when it is popular.  We preach it when it earns us enemies and criticism.  We have courage to confront/correct false doctrine.  We are gentle and patient to encourage/ instruct developing ideas about God and duty.  It will be a fight and it will be a privilege.  Paul has no regrets.  Not for himself, not for his young friend.   “In season and out”, we are servants of the Most High.