Jesus, Our Light - Day 4

 

Everything we need

I wonder if Joseph and Mary had any idea as they gazed on their little newborn boy that night just what had really happened. They couldn't have fully understood the scope of the new era that had just begun for mankind. The curtains had been pulled back on God's eternal plan, and now his salvation was revealed for the whole world for all to see.

Could they have imagined that the prophecy Isaiah gave hundreds of years ago was being fulfilled tonight?

“... By way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined … For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called
Wonderful,
Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. 
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end...”
~ Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

These words are found in one of the very moving passages in Handel's "Messiah" we hear at Christmas. Just ponder for a moment each of these names Jesus bears. He is the world's Messiah and Savior…Son of God and Son of Man…God Himself as part of the Trinity…the reigning King for all eternity…and bringer of Peace and perfect leadership for “us”--the ones He came for. 

This is what we celebrate!

In these troubled times, I often find myself praying the words of this passage. I need the Lord Jesus as my Peace. I need him as my perfect Wisdom. I need him to govern my life and the world around me. I need him to carry the daily burdens of my life for me. I need him to be the Light on my path.  

“Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end...”!

I can't say what comfort that brings to my heart and I hope in yours. He is on the increase! His kingdom will prevail—in this world He loves.

Jesus, Our Light - Day 3

God's light shows the way

It's interesting to see how God used light to reveal Jesus when He was born--by a star.

The wise men who came from somewhere in the east had an understanding that this unusual Star meant that the King of the Jews had been born (Matthew 2:1-11). In obedience to that revelation (prepared hearts!), they kept at their quest to find this baby King until that same star actually led them to the very spot. I love how God uses the symbolism of darkness and light here--stars don't shine during the day. It was in the darkness that the wise men found Jesus.

Centuries before, a prophet named Balaam had actually called the coming Messiah a Star:

"I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out Israel...
Out of Jacob One shall have dominion."
~ Numbers 24:17, 19

And the apostle Peter, writing years after Jesus' resurrection, uses the same symbolism to call us to the Light of Christ:

"And so we have the prophetic word confirmed,
which you do well to heed
as a light that shines in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts..."
~ II Peter 1:19

Those wise men from the East has been on their quest for a long time, weeks or months. While we don't know how they knew the king of the Jews was about to be born, they were looking. I love how God guided them with light--"we saw his star as it rose"--and made their mission successful--"we have come to worship him."

Throughout their whole journey, right to the baby in the manger, the star guided them. It speaks to me of God's delight in a seeking heart. Are you looking for him today? Trying to find the big answers for your life? Don't give up! He always rewards those who are true seekers. He will see to it that you have his light to show you the way.

Jesus, Our Light - Day 2

 

Prepare your heart

Picture this scenario:  a few hundred years have gone by since Isaiah's prophesy about the coming Messiah, and Israel is still waiting. One day in the Temple in Jerusalem, one of the priests, Zacharias, is chosen by lot to burn incense before the Lord on the golden Altar of Incense, which stood at the doorway to the Holy of Holies.

While busy about his work, suddenly the angel Gabriel appears to him with an astonishing message from God. (There were a lot of angels in the Christmas story.) God was going to give Zacharias and his aged wife a son in answer to a long-time prayer, a baby boy they were to call John (which means "the Lord has shown favor").  John would be a prophet whose job would be to help prepare the hearts of God's people for the soon-to-appear Messiah.

Prepare their hearts?  Why? 

Well, hundreds of years with no prophetic messages from God and a history of national subjugation to foreign powers had dulled their zeal for their God. Sin, darkness, and unbelief had crept in.  (Sound familiar?)  A hard heart is like hard soil--it can't receive seed or water to nourish it.

So Zacharias, responding like perhaps many of us might have, said, "What?!  I'm too old for that! (Ahem. As a priest, he would have been well aware of the story of Abraham, their forefather, who had a miracle son at 100 years old.) Gabriel replies, "Okay, because you didn't believe me, you'll not be able to speak until the day this comes true--and it will come true."

And of course it did. Zacharias had to write notes and use sign language for many months to communicate. But in that silent time, he had a chance to prepare his own heart. I imagine he searched the Scriptures to see if this could be true, and you know what he might have found? The last message from God to Israel four hundred years earlier promised that God would send a prophet to "prepare the hearts of the people" (Malachi 4:5-6).

Those long months Zacharias had to ponder did their work in his heart. Little John was born and Zacharias' tongue was loosed. But instead of fear and unbelief, now the words poured out of his mouth in a prophetic song of praise. His first words were of the Messiah:

"Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
for He has visited and redeemed His people...
as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets
who have been since the world began...
To grant us that we, being delivered from the
hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness
before Him all the days of our lives...
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death
to guide our feet into the way of peace."
~ from Luke 1:67-79

Not many months later in a town not far away, John's cousin Jesus was born, another miracle baby.  But this one, The One, was He whom John would one day say, "He is preferred before me, whose sandal I am not worthy to loose." (John 1:27)

Just think--we don't have to wait like Zacharias did or Israel did. We can prepare our hearts right now--open them in fresh humility and thankfulness for God's incredible gift of salvation, our Jesus.

Jesus, Our Light - Day 1

One of my most favorite things about Christmastime is the lights everywhere--twinkling on the tree, sparkling on homes and streets and buildings, candles shining their warm and steady light.

But the world generally doesn't even know the real significance of those lights at Christmas, that Jesus came to be our Light, to shine on our darkness.  Without His Light we are blind and the darkness rules.

So starting today, I'd like to offer you my version of the "The Twelve Days of Christmas," a devotional thought each day for these days preceding Christmas. It's a thankful look at the beautiful gift the Father of Lights has given us.

His light in our darkness

"Behold!  My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!  I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles...I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house..."  Isaiah 42:1, 6-7

From the time God gave Abraham the covenant promise that in him "all the families of the earth would be blessed" (Genesis 12:3), He meant everyone--the Jewish people and the Gentiles.  It was His plan from the beginning to redeem all mankind, all those who would accept it.  So in the passage above from the book of Isaiah, written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, we see His promise to give His Son as a covenant to us, our eternal Light.

In the years after Jesus' death and resurrection, the apostles initially preached to the Jews, proclaiming that their Messiah had come. But with broad rejection of that message, the apostle Paul, in obedience to that same revelation in the Isaiah passage, declared that the message was for the Gentiles, too.  In Acts 13:47-48, he says,

"...For so the Lord has commanded us: ' I have set You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'  Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord."

God's great heart from the beginning always was to save the whole world. And now at Christmas, I like to think that the lights of the season are a new invitation to us to open our hearts and receive His Light, the baby in Bethlehem who came for us.

The blessings of repentance

You don't hear a lot about repentance these days.

It's not a popular topic in churches. Preachers and pastors want to make sure people feel good about themselves, and they make the gospel appealing so people won't be offended and leave. 

And yet, the Bible teaches that the very first and most fundamental step to peace with God is repentance.

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15 NLT) And later the apostle Peter said, “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” (Act 3:19 NLT) Without repentance, we cannot be saved. (Luke 13:3)

Repentance means turning around and going the other way—turning away from sin and turning to God in faith. Admitting that we've been wrong. Humbling ourselves to admit that we can't change the sin in our hearts and lives, that we can't take away the prevailing sense of guilt that we live with. It’s crying out for help to the One who not only made us, but who loves us and has already provided an answer to our pain and mess.

Why are we so afraid to repent? What are we hanging on to with such a death-grip that keeps us from admitting that we at heart are rebels in need of a savior? Our pride is a closed door to God. And yet, a contrite heart opens that door to all the goodness and love He longs to give us—peace with God and the glorious freedom of a clean heart. 

Repentance is the first step to salvation through Jesus Christ. But it is also an ongoing daily life-attitude of keeping a ‘short list’ with the Lord. He always stands ready to forgive and renew our hearts with unfailing mercy and love, and help us get back on track.

Oh, how blessed we are! May He help us today to humble ourselves before Him and receive His forgiveness.


Bible study:  Psalm 51, Luke 15:10, Romans 2:4, 1 John 1:9

THROUGH the sea

If you find yourself facing a "Red Sea" trouble today and you can’t see a way out, I’d like to encourage you--God's way of deliverance is often THROUGH the sea.

You may remember the Bible story in Exodus 14. Moses had been sent by God to deliver His people from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Through a series of warnings and disastrous plagues, the pharaoh finally agreed to let them go.

They left, led by the Lord for a land of promise and goodness. But after three days, they came to a seemingly impossible barrier: the Red Sea. To make matters worse, the pharaoh had changed his mind and was thundering across the desert after them with his entire army of chariots and armed soldiers.

You can imagine the terror that pounded in the hearts of the Israelites. There was no way out--either forward or backward.  (Ever feel that way?)

Then God moved! He commanded a fierce wind to blow all night, pushing the water back in a path across the entire sea. Picture it--a wall of water on either side, dry land on the bottom. Then He set a cloud of fire behind His people, preventing the army from coming near them.

In the morning, He commanded them to cross through the sea to the other side.

Again, consider their options:  go forward and possibly drown, or stay and be annihilated by the army. But urged to take the bold step of faith, down they went into the dry seabed--and every last one of them made it safely to the other side.

God then removed the wall of fire, and the whole army charged after the people. But what was the Israelites' way of deliverance became the army's death sentence. God released the walls of water and the whole army was drowned.

Encouragement to us

If we can pull back a bit and see God's way in this story, it can change our fear and desperation to confidence and peace in Him.

The key is to remember…

• God had promised to deliver them and take them to a place of blessing and peace.
• His way was THROUGH the sea, not around it.
• This plan was not only to deliver, but to use the seeming disaster to end the threat of destruction forever.
• The people did not have to DO anything in their own deliverance except to trust God's Word and obey it. He did the work, He got the glory.

Whatever you're going through, take heart! Remember that the Word says God never changes. He loves you. He knows all about your problem. He is good and has a wonderful plan of blessing in mind for you. Don't be alarmed if you see a Red Sea before you and enemies chasing you from behind. Trust Him, obey what He tells you to do, and watch Him do a wondrous work for you! He will see you through safely through to the other side.

Bible study:  Exodus 14, Hebrews 13:8, I Peter 5:6-7, Isaiah 43:2, Romans 15:5

There came a day...

When you find yourself getting discouraged, waiting for an answer to prayer, it's good to remember the Lord's encouragement in the Word.

The Kingdom is not static--God is always at work in every situation. Even when we see nothing in the natural to give us confidence that things are changing and moving toward our answer, the Word tells us otherwise. Jesus said "My Father is always working and so am I" (John 5:17 NLT). Armed with even just that truth, we can settle our hearts in faith while we wait on His perfect timing. It will come, a day is appointed. He will not fail.

Many wonderful examples come to mind…

• There came a day when Noah's ark landed and his family had a new beginning…
• There came a day when Joseph was let out of prison and promoted to the king's right hand…
• There came a day when Abraham’s Sarah actually bore her own baby…
• There came a day when the king set the children of Israel free to return to their homeland…
• There came a day when the woman bent double for 18 years was healed…
• There came a day when the man who had sat by the Pool of Siloam for 38 years was healed…
• There came a day when the long-promised Messiah was born!

So encourage yourself in the Lord like David did, and determine to wait in quiet confidence, knowing that your answer is in process and will one day be manifest. It might be today!