Therefore the Lord himself
will give you a sign:
The virgin will conceive
and give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel.Isaiah 7:14
At the time that Isaiah spoke this prophecy the nation of Judah was under a large threat from Assyria. Alliances were being pressured and formed. King Ahaz of Judah refused to align himself with the northern tribes because he had secretly made a pact with the Assyrians. He didn’t grab hold of God’s past deliverances and trust God to save him and his people.
Isaiah made his prophesy about the coming savior to the entire House of David as a warning to trust God and no one else. God is with us (“Immanuel”) in so far as we are willing to trust and believe Him.
God is with me. I hold on tightly to the knowledge that His Holy Spirit dwells in my heart, mind and soul. It’s a promise completely fulfilled with Jesus. And yet, I still occasionally fall into the trap of looking for a savior outside that promise. A chance to make more money, a politician who scatters promises like birdseed, a new diet to get me “back on track” or a vaccine that will make the world “normal” again.
Promise made and promises broken
My BSGs just finished a section in our study of Everyday Theology. It focused on scripture – its validity, relevance, purpose and origins. We discussed how our modern times reflect Biblical times in so many ways. Warring political factions, the lack of faith, and how the promises of God still stand true for today.
Our world needs to grab on to the truths of scripture. The Bible isn’t just some book some random guys put together. It is what the study author calls, “God-breathed.” There is no other book on the planet that has as much historical evidence to support what it says. I asked the group why did the author choose to start a book about theology with the topic of scripture rather than say, God?
One member responded quite rightly, “Because the Bible gives us the character of God so we can better understand who He is.”
I gave the visual of using an encyclopedia book – yes, the actual book. In the ole timey days we would hear about something and turn to the encyclopedia to learn more about it. We knew what was written in that book was true. No doubts. After reading all about say, Marie Curie, we could be assured we knew just about everything we needed to know.
That’s how we should view the Bible – the true and relevant encyclopedia about God. And know that it’s all true. So, when Isaiah prophesizes the birth of Jesus hundreds of years prior to his birth, we can see it as confirmation of the whole story being true.
All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training
in righteousness, so that the
servant of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17
And knowing it is true – that Jesus came to be our savior and the Holy Spirit would dwell in us for all time – should cause us to look toward Him and hold on to Him as our only savior.
This is what the Lord says to his anointed,to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:I will go before you and will level the mountains;I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.I will give you hidden treasures,riches stored in secret places,so that you may know that I am the Lord,the God of Israel, who summons you by name.Isaiah 45:1-3
When I was 17, I moved across the country, away from my family to the Midwest for college. I was unsure what God had planned for me there, but I knew that I needed a new adventure and was excited to strike out on my own. It is difficult to describe with words that first feeling I had when my parents dropped me off at school and drove away into the distance to go back to California. I watched their car drive out of my university and eventually out of sight. For the first time, I was truly on my own. I felt my stomach drop and tears welled up in my eyes. Reality hit and I began to immediately doubt my decision.
One more hug from dad!
Those first months away from home were difficult. I spent many nights deep with sadness, missing my old life at home. Other nights I would be filled with joy at the exciting new venture I had bravely took head-on. Amidst the rollercoaster of emotions, I always had one underlying questions – What did God have planned for me here?
I wasn’t really a believer at the time, but I had gone to church my whole life and *generally* knew that God had a plan for our lives. Being from San Diego, I knew it was no coincidence that I ended up in Saint Charles, Missouri. It was random and I had zero connections to the area other than being recruited to play field hockey there. Despite not proclaiming Christ as my Savior yet, something inside of me knew there was a reason God brought me to this place.
St. Charles — A Water Tower Town
Rewind back to the initial verse I kicked off with. Isaiah 45: 1-3 discusses a prophesy of Cyrus, who is a pagan leader God chooses to deliver the Israelites from their captivity. These verses were written 200 years before Cyrus was born. Meaning, Cyrus’ life was already planned out way before he was ever a thought in his parent’s minds. God had a plan for Cyrus’ life – He has a plan for yours too.
God planned to use Cyrus in mighty ways, even though he was no mighty person. God chose him, predestined him to be the deliverer of God’s people. God wasn’t particularly favoring Cyrus, rather he was caring for His people as a whole by providing them a way out of their suffering through Cyrus.
I know that God loves me, cares for me and sees me as beautifully and wonderfully made. But just as much as he sees me as His child, He also sees me as an instrument to His Kingdom, a vessel for which he can work through me. Just as he did Cyrus.
I quickly found out that God’s plan for me in Saint Charles was to find salvation in His son Jesus Christ and to dedicate my life to serving Him – no matter where I was living, working, etc. God saved me so that He could use me on my field hockey team, amongst my roommates and in my workplace. Just as Cyrus’s plan for his life was written 200 years before he was born – so was mine, and yours.
When I look back to my years in college, I am reminded of the good and perfect plan God had for me during my time there. Every day was certainly not good and perfect, but the things He brought me through and the lessons He taught me showed me that He truly is a good and perfect God.
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.Psalm 119:105
God has already prepared a way for us. This truth alleviates me from worry and stress about tomorrow – something to which I still occasionally fall victim. God wrote the story of our lives generations ago, and has every intention of carrying out His good and perfect plan for us. All we must do is surrender control and open our hands to His authority.
The Lord will march out like
a champion,like a warrior he
will stir up his zeal;with a shout
he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.Isaiah 42:13
Like you, I’ve dealt with a lot of difficult people throughout my life. Whether it was at work, my children’s school, youth sports, or even my church, I encountered people who just wanted to be adversarial. And I am certain I was someone’s “difficult person” at one time or another. But I think the most painful experiences surrounding adversaries are when they are part of our family.
I was talking with a good friend of mine the other day about our two families. We both struggle with difficult parent situations. One day she and her sister had a heart to heart about a disagreement from a few weeks prior. With my Christian friend’s kind and gentle approach she spurred the revelation that they had become their parents. Each sister taking on the personality and fighting style of one of their parents. That revelation started a healing process in both of them. Truly a small victory.
In my own life I have transitioned through the stages of grief when it comes to my relationship with my parents. I denied there was a real problem in my family. When I finally recognized the problems, I became angry and fought constantly with my mother – trying to change her. I even had my own way of bargaining to try and create a Hallmark-style mother-daughter relationship. I would do things for her to help her see what a good person I really was. But my expectations and hopes were always dashed. I became depressed for awhile when I realized we would never be a family that loved being together. I just wanted to untie myself from my parents and let them go adrift. All of this was before I finally surrendered. I raised my white flag. But not to any human. To God.
But thanks be to God, who in
Christ always leads us in
triumphal procession, and
through us spreads the fragrance
of the knowledge of him everywhere.2 Corinthians 2:14
Paul wrote this to the church of Corinth during a very difficult time for him and his relationship with this church. They were angry with him for changing his plans about visiting. Some had started false preaching about him behind his back. And, as Warren Wiersbe states, “When Christians misunderstand each other the wounds can be very deep.” Isn’t that true of our families as well?
During the last few years, I have experienced that Christ-given “fragrance of knowledge of Him.” And as I have done so, I finally had to experience that last stage of grief – acceptance. For us Christians that acceptance comes, more importantly, with forgiveness. I stopped trying to change the situation by myself. And I started to rely on God to handle the situation with my parents. I hold on to the truth of who loves me for all eternity. And I’m learning how to stay tied to my parents without feelings of hurt and anger. As I spoke of this with my friend she announced very boldly, “And now you have VICTORY!”
..so you should rather turn
to forgive and comfort him,
or he may be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg
you to reaffirm your love for him.
9 For this is why I wrote,
that I might test you and know
whether you are obedient in
everything. 10 Anyone whom you
forgive, I also forgive. Indeed,
what I have forgiven, if I have
forgiven anything, has been for
your sake in the presence of Christ,
11 so that we would not be
outwitted by Satan; for we are
not ignorant of his designs.2 Corinthians 2:7-11
I forgave my parents for not being able to provide me with what I was looking for in a relationship. I realized they had never been the recipients of overwhelming love. I stopped being angry and instead became thankful for the life which God has blessed me – a loving family of my own. Had I given up at any of the other 4 steps of grief surely Satan would have won. But like Paul, I am no longer ignorant of the devil’s designs.
Thanks be to God for the triumph He has promised us. We can hold fast knowing that, not only will He have victory over those who would do us harm, but also over our own souls which get injured and hurt by the world. We can have victory because the Spirit of God rests in us.
As the rain and the snowcome down from heaven,
and do not return to itwithout watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for
the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:It will not return to me empty,but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.Isaiah 55:10-11
The Gospel is good news. Plain and simple. The actual word “gospel” is translated to mean “good story” or “good news” in Greek. But the question is – if the Gospel truly is good news, why is it so hard for us to talk about it?
I’ll rewind a bit and start from the very beginning. For those who have always heard the word Gospel, but never heard the story of the Gospel, here it is:
1. God created us for his glory (Creation).
2. Therefore, every human should live for God’s glory.
3. Nevertheless, we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (the Fall).
4. Therefore, we all deserve eternal punishment (Hell).
5. Yet, in his great mercy, God sent his only Son Jesus Christ into the world to provide for sinners the way of eternal life (the Cross).
6. Therefore, eternal life is a free gift to all who will trust in Christ as Lord and Savior and supreme Treasure of their lives (Salvation).
John Piper
All that to say, the Gospel is indeed good news. It means eternal intimacy in the presence of God, forgiveness of sins and citizenship in Heaven where there will be no more sorrow or pain – ever. For those of us who have been saved by grace through faith and are living testimonies of the power of the Gospel, we are all vessels of this good news.
As Isaiah writes in chapter 55, God is proclaiming and promising that the good news he has sent down to earth (salvation through his Son Jesus), will indeed be fulfilled and carried from nation to nation until Jesus returns again.
As described in verse 10, God sent down Jesus like rain, to water a dry and barren earth. God has promised us that this rain would not leave the earth dry and barren, but that it would be fully watered until it is returned to its original perfect creation. Right now, we are still in the watering phase of God’s plan for creation. The land is still thirsty and in need of the living water, and thankfully, we as Christians know just where to find it.
Those in Christ are not just blessed with knowing the truth of the Gospel, we are called to share it. As the Jesus’ Great Commission states in Matthew 28:
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.Matthew 28:19-20
We are vessels of good news and have the refreshing drink our thirsty world is gasping for. Sharing the Gospel may not always be easy, but it is always God’s will for us to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We are a part of God’s redemption story for this world. He uses us, ordinary people, to return to Creation what was robbed by sin.
I challenge you today to change your perspective from one of fear and hesitation towards sharing the Gospel, to one of joy and anxious anticipation for sharing the good news of salvation. As believers, we exist to serve God – not the other way around. Start today by remembering that God is using you as a divine vessel of good news, created and saved to play an important role in His plan for our world.
Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”Isaiah 35:4
Peace Through Strength
A simple three-word statement can mean so many different things to so many different people. I was in high school and then college when President Ronald Reagan served his two terms as President of the United States. During this same period of time my political ideals began to mature and form. I was squarely aligned with conservative political principles and beliefs. I was what was known as a “Reagan Youth.”
Peace through strength was a common plank in the foundation of conservative beliefs. The political and strategic approach in those days was to build up superior defenses, troop numbers and weapons capabilities that created a deterrent for any foreign enemy considering a challenge. This led to the arms race and the escalation of tensions between the two most powerful and wealthy super-powers of the day. Our strength was determined by holding a tight grip on the sure demise of the enemy.
Those were the days of the Cold War. The U.S., under Reagan’s strong conservative stance was clearly and ideologically opposed to the Red Communist Russia– the “evil empire”. Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet party and the target of Reagan’s famous words while standing at the Berlin Wall – “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” President Reagan, understanding the opportunity at hand, called into focus his years of theatrical training and vocation, captured the world’s attention and started what would begin the eventual decline and crumbling of the Russian empire and it’s stranglehold on the Eastern bloc.
But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.2 Thessalonians 3:3
While many of my political beliefs, alignments and passions are similar today as they were 35 years ago, my perspectives have changed. Peace through strength has a different meaning to me now.
Peace doesn’t hold the same overarching meaning of “World Peace” and lack of foreign wars. Peace has become more personal and internal. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom and includes the notions of completeness, wholeness, fulfillment, harmony and well-being.
That type of peace is not of my making but is delivered from the strength of God’s powerful promises and proven acts of salvation.
My peace through strength today comes from the foundational strength I know from promises that have already been delivered in my life from Jesus. My peace occurs because I know that regardless of what happened yesterday, what occurred today and what unknowns will occur tomorrow I am forgiven, protected and preserved for all time. My grip is not focused on keeping others who oppose me away. My hands are both firmly attached to the vine who guides, leads and sustains me.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 1:18-20
Sometimes I feel like I’m in a bit of a tug-o-war with God. He’s trying to get me over that line and I keep resisting – pulling back to my way of doing things. Like a two-year old saying, “I can do it myself,” I resist the pull of God because I think I know better.
Have you ever been in a tug-o-war and the other side decides to completely let go? Your side is pulling so hard you all tumble to the ground. Even though the other side knows they’ll lose they think it’s hilarious to see the results. It’s a dirty trick. Thankfully God promises to never let go of His end. His grace and forgiveness keep me upright even when I pull on that opposite end with all my might.
When I am weak and give in to my earthly ways God gives me grace and forgiveness. I want to resist and rebel. He works in so many ways to pull me back toward Him.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
The context of that verse is Paul writing to the people of Corinth and sharing a constant pain he endured. He pleaded with God three times to remove the thorn in his side (we don’t know exactly what the thorn was). And God replied that His grace is sufficient. How many times have we complained, maybe just today alone, to God to remove something from our lives? That’s not to say that He won’t. But He reminds us that sometimes we must be weak to truly rely on Him.
Sometimes God does meet the need by substitution (ie health instead of sickness); but other times He meets the need by transformation. He gives us His grace so that the affliction works for us and not against us.
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Commentary, New Testament
At times when we pray for God to remove something awful in our lives and He doesn’t perform the way we expect, we then enter into that tug-o-war game. Pulling into our own ways of “fixing things” ourselves, complaining, or even turning our backs on God by letting go of our end of the rope. We give in to our idols, our wants and needs.
We should remember the saying that God, through grace, gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy, He does not give us what we do deserve. So, when situations do not turn out as we have directed God, we need to pray to God to help us see what He wants us to see. To help us understand what He wants us to understand.
God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. Life Principle # 5
Dr. Charles Stanley, 30 Life Principles
When we allow God to pull us back toward Him, He showers us with His mercy and forgiveness. He cleanses our crimson souls to be white as snow. And another covenant agreement is balanced at both ends of the rope.
“Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance and strength.’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.
Isaiah 45:22-24
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Matthew 2:11
Glory to God the King! I praise you, God, and bow down to you in thankfulness for your covenant with us! Your promise to deliver us, through your son Jesus, is the great gift for all mankind.
It has really hit home to me this year about the idols so many of us rely on for strength and deliverance. We cling to our routines. We put our trust in government officials. We place our joy in dining out, going to the movies, gathering with friends. Our peace rests in financial security. And God comes and reminds us that no idol can bring us any of these. He is God and there is no other.
In a God-like way it’s perfect that we can see a light at the end of this pandemic as vaccines begin rolling out and we celebrate the birth of His son. God is the savior of Babylon – for those who believe. And yet so many, even Christians, fail to truly grab a hold of this truth.
I was talking with my BSGs the other day about the “spirit of Christmas” and how many rely on an outside source to descend upon them for this feeling. My own parents sit alone in their home without any sign of Christmas to be seen. I asked my mother the other day why that was. And her response was, “We just don’t have any Christmas spirit this year.” Now granted, they aren’t Christians either. They are just two of millions across the globe who have chosen not to bow down and accept God as the Almighty. One of the BSGs describes her brother’s family in much the same way. They wait to be lifted by the outside world. They wait to feel joy in the material. They wait to find peace in routine.
It made me realize how, once I accepted Jesus as our deliverer, I no longer need idols to feel “saved.” I no longer need idols to experience the joy of Christmas. My “spirit of Christmas” comes from above and within and I’ve been holding on tightly to that gift.
We are such comfort-seeking souls! I think of a soldier at war during Christmas. Laying in a foxhole or cave in a foreign land. There’s no twinkly lights or Christmas tree laden with gifts. There’s no Christmas ham and glazed carrots. There’s just cold, and the distant sounds of gunfire. And yet, the Christmas spirit still is there – in the small pocket Bible or the verses kept close to his heart.
This Christmas is not unusual in that there is strife in the world. This Christmas is not unusual that many are in dire financial need. This Christmas is the same as it was on that day that Christ was born – He has come to be our deliverer. That’s all the Christmas spirit I need.
Listen diligently to me, and eat
what is good, and delight yourselves
in rich food. Incline your ear,
and come to me;hear, that your soul
may live;and I will make with
you an everlasting covenant,
Isaiah 55:2-3
Jesus said to them, “I am the
bread of life; whoever comes to
me shall not hunger, and whoever
believes in me shall never thirst.
John 6:35
As so many of us prepare to enjoy delicious Christmas meals and beautifully wrapped gifts it’s easy to overlook that most of what we call “Christmas” isn’t necessary. Stripped down, Christmas is about one thing – God’s promise to deliver us the greatest gift, His son Jesus.
This year our “Christmas” seems a bit different. We are missing family and friends. But the promise I wanted to share with you is this, he always provides for us. Even in times that seem bare, He provides. In fact, the opportunity to truly appreciate what we do have is when situations seem the most difficult. It’s lessons like that which Jesus passed along to us through His bloodline.
He will provide in the most God-like ways – a stranger lends a hand, a paycheck bonus comes at the right time, an offer of food from a neighbor when you need it most. And the covenant agreement we need to uphold and hold on to is to trust in that promise.
I pray every day that what I write in this blog is what someone, even just one person, needs to hear from God. And the other day I was thinking about which Isaiah verse to use for Christmas. That day, my friend Betsy shared a story written by her sister for her local church. As she read it, all I kept hearing was “He provides.” I asked if I could share her beautiful family story here. Betsy’s family bloodline has passed down some amazing lessons. I hope you enjoy it!
A Privileged Life Growing Up By Rachel Mueller
I’m the oldest daughter of an Episcopal priest. I found growing up totally immersed in the culture of the Episcopal Church something very special.
This photo was taken July 2, 1953 for the Glendale California News Press announcing that my father was to be the new rector of St. Luke’s of the Mountains, La Crescenta, California and it introduced our family to the community. One of five and the oldest, you will see me pictured to the right of my father and holding my favorite Madam Alexander doll. My younger two brothers and two sisters completed our family – yes, five children in six years, something my mother said raised eyebrows at our new church! We lived in the large rectory, which was next door to the church and suited our big family perfectly. Apparently while constructing this new house, there was some opposition on the vestry to its size. And supposedly the previous Rector said, “Well, who knows? The next Rector might have five children.” Perhaps the Search Committee went looking for a priest with five children to justify their new building.
Living next door to the church, we were very much aware of all the church activities on a daily basis. There was always something, be it the regular church services, a wedding, funeral or special events. My father believed his family was an extension of him, so we were taught to answer the telephone properly; in my case “St. Luke’s Rectory, Rachel speaking” and to take messages in detail and often answer questions such as the times of the church services, or dates of meetings. In a way our parents used us as extra employees — we gave out keys, opened doors, passed the cookies at vestry meetings, set up the tables and chairs for parish events, washed the coffee cups after church on Sunday, went with our father to visit people in the hospital, took food to orphanages, helped relocate refugees (first the Dutch Indonesians, then Cubans, and later Vietnamese), and helped load real sheep into our station wagon for the live Nativity outside the front of the church at Christmas. Anything going on at the church was dinner table conversation, including who was sick and in the hospital, or just died, or had a baby. The doorbell rang morning, noon and night with someone wanting something, or wondering “Where’s Fr. Sadler?” It was a constant in our life. The parish got to know us, and we quickly learned the names of all the parishioners.
In contrast to many clergy today, our father always wore a black shirt (not grey, or blue or some other color) and his clerical collar. I don’t remember ever seeing him not wearing this “uniform” until years after he retired. Even on his day off he was dressed in “the collar”. He was very active in our community which made him well known, which in turn brought great benefits to our family. He was usually the clergyman on stage at our school graduations, there to give the invocation or benediction, which made me very proud. Everywhere we went folks would stop him to say hello and show us special kindness. We were often invited to parishioners’ home to swim on hot afternoons. We were treated to Disneyland when it first opened. There were always special gifts of food and goodies at holidays – items that weren’t part of our regular family fare.
The most important lesson I learned from my father was “God will provide.” So many wonderful things happened to us, I thought we were very wealthy. It wasn’t until I went away to college that I learned what salary my father actually made. I couldn’t believe it. On paper we were poor. But our lives were rich and much more interesting than those of my friends. For example, we might suddenly have some homeless folks at the dinner table. My mother would just say “Rachel, please set the table for three more.” We often would never see those people again but the memory and lesson of hospitality remain.
I could fill a book with stories of wonderful things that happened to us as a result of living in a family grounded in love, trusting that “God will provide” and accepting life as it comes; but enough for now.
And he said to his disciples,
“Therefore I tell you, do not
be anxious about your life, what
you will eat, nor about your body,
what you will put on. For life is
more than food, and the body more
than clothing. Consider the ravens:
they neither sow nor reap, they
have neither storehouse nor barn,
and yet God feeds them. Of how much
more value are you than the birds!
Luke 12:22-24
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.Isaiah 43:1-3
Around the holidays we inevitably start seeing helpful news stories on how to deal with our families at social gatherings. How to handle the uncle who drinks too much. What topics not to bring up around your opposite political leaning parents. And yet we still attend these family events. Why? Because they are our family and we still love them. It’s amazing what we will put up with when it comes to family.
That idea of “blood being thicker than water” keeps us closely tethered to our loved ones. It reminds me of those pre-school ropes with little fabric rings the children hold on to so they don’t wander off and get lost. The teacher admonishes the children to grab hold of their ring tightly so the little family stays together. And if Jimmy gets distracted and starts to head in a different direction, the group pulls him back in.
Now imagine God as our head of household. He provided the roof over your head, the food for the feast and the gifts about to be received. He created that uncle, your parents, and even that really weird cousin. And He calls you His child. He calls us to grab hold of our place on His family rope so we don’t get lost.
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.Galatians 3:28-29
We drink too much. We gossip. We steal. We withhold forgiveness and mercy. We look to the world for guidance. We work so hard to let go of God’s tether and yet He sticks with us. He still shows up. He never leaves us. We are his. He is Immanuel — God is with us.
I was reading a prayer by Charles Spurgeon called “The Presence of the Word.” He describes God’s Holy Word as always being with us. The divine teachings through the Bible are at our fingertips, on our mind and at the ready whenever we need Him.
“Oh, let it (Your Word) be in us a living seed that will produce in us a life acceptable before God…..Lord, we ask that your Word may chasten us whenever we go astray. May it enlighten us whenever for a moment we get into darkness.”
Charles Spurgeon
If we make the mistake that the Bible was written long ago and has little or no connection to our life, we have attempted to untethered ourselves from God. He is always with us through His living Word. The Bible is meant for us right now — to be His constant voice and sense of being part of His family.
My son, keep your father’s command
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Bind them always on your heart;
fasten them around your neck.
When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
For this command is a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and correction and instruction
are the way to life.
Proverbs 6:20-23
When we keep the Word of God tethered to our heart and mind, He is sure to be always with us. You might say, “I’m not good about memorizing scripture.” But here’s a little secret: So much of our lives are already seeped in God’s Words and commandments. We can all probably list a few of the 10 commandments right here and now. And if we were to stick with those the rest of our lives and truly follow them, we’d be closely tethered through eternity.
But His Word has so much more wisdom and comfort available to us. The first verse I truly memorized was:
Be still and know that I am God.
Proverbs 46:10
And it’s funny. As soon as I decided to try and remember that verse it started popping up everywhere! God was with me, guiding me, encouraging me to remember. Like a parent cheering on a baby taking her first steps.
He promises to never leave us. We were called to Him by name. We are His. And when we feel the pull of that blood to bring us back home, we need to show up — be the other half of the covenant. Our family is not complete without you.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.Matthew 28:19-20
And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him,to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.Isaiah 56:6-7
These months of Coronavirus lockdowns and limitations have led to varying degrees of modified social gathering, decreased family contact and less human contact than any time in my 55 years on this earth. Certainly, the psychiatrists and social scientists will write about this period of time for decades to come. The scientific themes and research will revolve around isolation, depression, anxiety and the overall physical decline of those who were compromised and the most vulnerable to the novel coronavirus.
There is no question that decreased physical contact and changes in routines and habits can throw all of us off our game. So many have lost their solid hold on the anchor lines of routine, comfort and familiarity. But did our dependence on other people for our happiness and joy make us vulnerable in ways we never expected?
Happiness or Joy?
During the last nine months, I’m confident in saying we all have experienced the side effects of these pseudo government-imposed quarantines, confinements and solitude from limited human contact. Not many of us think it has been good for us and others, the social animals amongst us, think it has been the work of the devil himself.
Personally, I have learned some very valuable and lifelong lessons from this pandemic imposed by the changes to our day-to-day lives. Most importantly, my joy is not dependent on those around me and what they bring to the game. My joy comes from within and from above.
Praise the Lord! For he has heard
my cry for mercy. The Lord is my
strength and shield. I trust him
with all my heart. He helps me,
and my heart is filled with joy.Psalm 28:6-7
While happiness is temporary and fleeting, joy is deep, sustainable and long-lived if based in the promise of God’s plan for lives. Happiness is equivalent to a thread that can bind items together but has little strength under pressure and strain. Joy is a thick, tightly-woven and multistrand rope created to anchor and restrain heavy items like a ship or a barge. When joy is fixed in our soul and anchored to Jesus’s love for us the anguish, the discomfort, and the turmoil we feel during a pandemic doesn’t knock us down to our knees.
Joy is my equalizer that levels the panic and threat level and brings everything back into focus. I am not dependent on other people for my joy and my peace. My anchor rope is fixed to my Father who has promised strength, protection, salvation and joy.
Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
John 16:24
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