The Waiting Game

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1)

Advent is our season of waiting. We wait for a baby to appear on the scene. As Christians, we know the significance of this baby. Before we were followers of Christ we still waited. Waited for Christmas, for Santa, for shopping to be finished or for payday so we could finish gift hunting.

Little did we know then that the greatest gift of all was soon to make an appearance. Our dark world would soon be lit up. Truth would make an entrance, and nothing would ever be the same again. Even our 'waiting' would change.

About nine years ago I was waiting for Jesus in a different way. My husband received a terminal diagnosis and we waited to see what God would do. I was waiting for Him send a cure, instead He sent a Savior to take my husband back home with Him.

Because of Advent, that time of waiting for a Savior--a Redeemer, my waiting was not a hopeless time, but a time of growing in faith and endurance.

Imagine Jesus' mother, Mary, and her time of waiting. Again, a time of waiting for a Savior, a Redeemer. As I am starting to learn, waiting is not a negative state, but a state of pregnant expectation.

Each year we begin this season waiting and anticipating what God will do for us, with us, and sometimes despite us, in the coming year. How are you spending your ‘waiting’ time this year? Please share in the comments below, or feel free to email me here.

Isaiah 43:1-13

First Words

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27

Do you remember the first words you spoke as a baby? Probably not, but odds are your parents do. According to a recent survey, 87% of you began speaking with some variation of “dada” or “mama.” The third most common word was some variation of “Hiya!” 

First words are important. They establish relationship. They greet and welcome. They set the course for what is to follow.

And so it continues into adulthood. “Good morning, mom!” “Welcome home, honey!” “Glad to see you, brother!” “How can I help you, sir?” “What do you want?!!!” “Where have you been?!!!” “Excuse me, in what aisle can I find the aspirin?” 

Every time you see someone, you exchange first words, for better or for worse, and the course of your interaction is set. When we pray to our God, it is no different.

My first prayer each day always begins with these words: “Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord, Holy Spirit ... Thank you for this new day of your creation. Your grace and your mercy are fresh every morning.”

I love these words. They identify my God as triune: my father, my lord, and my guiding spirit. When I give thanks, my heart opens to receive what God has prepared for me on this new day. In recalling his grace and his mercy, I am freed from my past sins and clothed again with the light of Christ. As a shower cleans the body, so these words clean my soul. 

What are your first words for God when you wake up in the morning?

God's Love for His Son - Israel (Hosea 11:1-11)

Even if you do not read the Blog entry below, please take 5 minutes to watch this video, and have a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas in the name of Immanuel.                  (GOD WITH US)

The Lord our God has patience far beyond our imagination! On this Christmas Day we are drenched in love for the Christ child and the beauty that accompanies the miraculous, healthy birth of a newborn baby; so innocent and dependent, yet strong and thriving with promise.

Jesus was sent to us however, as what I can’t help but see as a last resort. God’s grace love and forgiveness wasn’t enough for his people (Israel). He took extreme measures for the mercy of us all by sending Jesus to model how to live. How many more years will it take for us all to get it? What else could he possibly do?

In the Old Testament, Moses wrote Exodus as a lasting memorial of God’s goodness to the people of Israel. Verse 4:22; the Lord instructed Moses; then say to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son…”

Hosea, one of “The Minor Prophets” of the Old Testament also wrote; “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further away he went from me.” Hosea 11:1-2

This reading in Hosea is also a prophesy about the world being no different then than it is today. Though the Lord took care of and healed his Israel, they did not realize it. He led them with kindness and ties of love, but they did not respond. They refuse to repent.

Though God would be angered, he would not carry out that anger; “For I am God, and not man-The Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.” Hosea 1:9

We are Israel, and we still depend on “Immanuel.” God is truly with us here on earth because of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. Alleluia!

Read/Listen to Hosea 11:1-11

Matthew 2: 1-12

                                                      Epiphany Sunday

                                            God in the Flesh                                   

Epiphany comes from two Greek words basically meaning to shine upon, to reveal, or to appear or manifest. At this place in scripture, the Epiphany celebrates God’s revealing or manifesting of Jesus’ identity as true God, Messiah, and Savior of the world.

From The Journey (A bible for seeking God and understanding life)

Reasons to Believe:

Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Micah wrote that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5: 2) When the Maji and King Herod wanted to know where the new king would be born, the Jewish leaders who knew the passage well were able to tell them. Detailed predictions like these, show that the Bible is unlike any other religious book in the world. Jesus is the only holy founder of a major world religion whose birthplace was prophesied hundreds of years in advance of his birth.

Today “wise” men and women continue to seek the word of God, and strive to live as Jesus lived. The Maji (wise men) who followed the star and found the Christ child, were a great example of ignoring worldly directions to protect the sanctity of the Lord. Herod told them to find the child and report back to him so he too could go and worship the child. Knowing that the intentions of the king were not to worship but to harm the baby, they did not comply with his command.

Each day of our lives we are faced with worldly choices that can result in dishonoring the word of God. We can choose to ignore the negative forces in this world for the honor and glory of His name, or we can weaken and comply. Though we may falter along the way, and it is difficult to remain strong, it is “wise.”

Read/Listen to Matthew 2:1-12