Hope

 The beginning of chapter 66 (that you read yesterday) was a stunning warning. Here at the end of the chapter, Isaiah gives a beautiful word of hope. While human effort is untrustworthy (66:1-6), God’s faithfulness is reliable. And the end of the chapter reveals an even more surprising secret – God’s faithfulness isn’t just for Israel, but for anyone who will turn to Him in faith!

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REFLECTION

Hope

By Jeff Morlock

God isn’t fooled by appearances. Some in Judah who publicly offered sacrifices to Yahweh also participated in pagan rituals and blatantly sinful behavior on the side. God promised punishment for these hypocrites and consolation for his faithful. But his judgment had taken a toll on the nation, and those who had kept the faith were weary.

Do you know what it’s like to be bone-tired? Depression, anxiety, marital or family strife, financial instability, ill health, and more can make us feel so mentally, physically and spiritually exhausted that we can’t imagine feeling truly alive again. The Israelites knew this bone-tiredness after suffering through the exile, being cut off from their land and their God. Then, when some were allowed to return in anticipation of the great blessings Yahweh had promised, they found only further hardship, famine, political in-fighting, and economic oppression.

But tucked within this drama of God’s righteous anger and Israel’s eventual vindication is the promise of v. 13, “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” Biblically, we know God as Father. But the comfort he offers is like that of a mother. When our daughters were little, my kisses never seemed to cure “owies” like their mother’s did, probably because moms have a special way of knowing exactly what kind of comfort is needed and just how to offer it for maximum impact. Even now when my adult children want fun, frivolity, or food, they call me. But when they want comfort, only Mom will do. Perhaps this is what Isaiah means. The labor pains of Zion’s deliverance and rebirth are unavoidable, yet the God who births her is there to comfort and console all along the way. Those who embrace this promise (and its Giver) will receive the hope Isaiah describes. God is making all things new. New heavens. New earth. New community. New you!

What sin do you need to confess today? What is getting in the way of your relationship with God and new life in Christ? What distraction is making you so weary that you have lost sight of his loving care and the hope to which he has called you? Spend some time silently in God’s presence, asking the Lord to forgive and soothe and renew you.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your love that comes to us as both judgment and hope, for Jesus who fulfills both, and for the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, through whom we experience the care that Isaiah describes. Amen.

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER - FRIDAY

FAITH - Pray for faith instead of fear, that many would come to faith in Jesus and that we would all trust God more deeply during this time.

May 23 - Looking for Justice

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Over the several past months, we have all watched as our world has been ravaged by the effects of COVID-19. The spread of this disease has killed hundreds of thousands. The physical, emotional, and economical affects have taken a horrific toll. The question that begs to be answered is, “Who is responsible?”

There will doubtlessly be thorough investigations, mounds of evidence and billions if not trillions of dollars spent trying to find the answer to who should be held responsible for this tragedy.

Our nature wants this. We want to find justice when things go this wrong. We want to find someone to blame, someone to hold accountable.  We have lost so much; someone needs to pay!

Even in the most clear-cut cases with mounds of evidence, the most ethical of all courts, attorneys and judges, the lines of TRUE justice are still blurred. At the end of the day, we are all just human beings who do not know what REALLY happened. Even the wisest and most discerning among us cannot see into the past, much less the depths and motives and the human heart.

There is One Judge who can. He sees all and knows all. He sees all injustices, even those hidden far away in the depths of every human heart.  

1 Peter 2:23 says, Jesus “when He suffered, did not threaten, but continued to entrust Himself to Him who judges justly.”

We all want justice, until that justice is called upon to investigate the depths of our souls. Until we realize the One Who sees all and knows all will be called upon to bring His righteous condemnation down upon us to make us pay! He is the One sees every misdeed, every selfish evil intent, every skeleton in our closet and there will be no hiding.

The end of today’s reading (vs. 11) gives us hope.

The hope of being cleansed – washed clean, purified, unblemished and spotless.

The hope of being sanctified – Only those things that are pure can be set apart, consecrated, and dedicated to God. Jesus perfect life was given in our place, as full payment, as an act making complete and full amends and reparations for our guilt. By Jesus blood we purified from the inside out, imbued with His Holy Spirit making us fit to be used by God for His purposes.

The hope of being justified – When we are one day brought into the Divine Courtroom and laid bare before the Almighty, when we rely upon Jesus who paid our ransom, we are declared NOT GUILTY and acquitted of all charges. We have pronounced righteous, “just as if I never sinned.”

How does this speak to you about allowing God’s divine power to bring about justice in our world?

How will you respond to the hope of being cleansed, sanctified and justified? 

Unswerving Hope

Hebrews 10:23-25

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.”  Unswervingly is such a wonderfully descriptive word!  Other versions say, “hold fast and not waver” or “no room for doubt,” but I love the use of unswervingly in the NIV.  It makes me stop and think though… do I hold unswervingly to hope; to the salvation that God has promised?

Often, I let hope slip through my hands.  I lay in bed and stare at my phone, reading negative word after negative word.  The world feels like a scary place, absent of grace, which makes me want to pull the covers over my head and hide.

So, what keeps you going?  What is it that makes you wake up each day and put one foot in front of the other?

Hopefully in addition to your loving Father, you have people in your life who spur you on and encourage you.  We need each other now more than ever.  In a world that promotes distance and disconnection, God wants us to reach out and not lose hope.  He wants us to “not give up on meeting together” because he knows how important fellowship can be.  When nourished, love blossoms.

So Father, may I hold unswervingly to your promises and encourage others to do the same.  When I see someone struggling, fill me with an overabundance of grace to share.  And in a world that wants to tear us down, may I be an encouragement to others and build them up so they can throw back the covers and step into each new day, strengthened by your love.

Love, Sweet Love

1 Peter 3:8-22

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 
1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

There is an old song playing in my head as I write these words. "What the world needs now, is love, sweet love. That's the only thing there is just too little of." Isn't this the truth. If love ruled the world like it does in the popular Hallmark movies, we would all be so much better off.

Try to envision this: Facebook posts that only speak of loving each other. Grocery store lines with smiling faces, friendly gestures on the highway from fellow motorists. People helping each other out as the normal way to be. Too much to ask?

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)  

Jesus commands us to love each other. These words can be found in numerous places in scripture, so there must be a good reason to love like this. I am sure that initially in The Garden, love was the overarching theme, the reason God created us. God is love and we are created in His image. So, what happened? Why is love such a fleeting and diminishing emotion? Why is it so much more acceptable to hate and condemn and vilify each other?

I have a hope in my heart that eventually love will conquer all. That hope is Jesus, who will come again. Love will be the driving force for everyone. It all comes back to Jesus, the Word, the Truth and Love.

Consider/Discuss:

• How can we make one small change in how we love someone today?
• How could this change impact others as well as us?

Advent is Over...But We're Still Longing

Luke 2:21-32

Today’s story is an interesting one—not one that you hear about very often. It is just a small piece of the arc of redemption, a hint of hope for the future, and foretelling of the salvation to come. In this passage we meet Simeon, a man who has been waiting for Israel’s savior. In fact, he has been told by God that he will meet the savior at some point in his life. So when Jesus is brought to the temple, Simeon is inspired by the Spirit to go and he meets Jesus. The praises that Simeon utters at this moment are so moving to me,

 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

Simeon feels total and complete peace and joy, because there is hope for the world right there in his arms. The waiting is over, the longing is ended—the next chapter is beginning at last.

Advent is over. Christmas is over. We waited, we celebrated, so now what? This next month can sometimes feel so flat or motionless as we struggle to get going into next year. And the difficult part of it is this: the season of Advent is over, but we are still waiting. We are still longing. We are still anticipating Jesus to come and redeem a world that seems so lost and hopeless. We are in the already of Jesus’ saving grace, and the not yet of his returning promise. So as we move forward out of this time, ask yourself: how is God showing up for me right here, right now? There might be things you are waiting for, things you’ve asked God for and he’s said, “Not yet, dear one.” But how is God meeting you exactly where you are and cradling you, like Simeon cradled baby Jesus in the temple on that day two thousand years ago? Though we still have longing and waiting, Jesus is in our midst to guide us through.

Reflect:

How is God showing up for you, meeting you exactly where you are?

What are you waiting or longing for, and how is God answering that longing? Seek his true answers, not answers that you want or feel like you deserve. Ask God to show you his will.

A Fight Fed by Hope

Please welcome Kelsey Bacon to Daily Bible Blast. Kelsey will be writing each Thursday's devotion. She brings a young adult perspective to these daily reflections on God's Word and His love for each of us. 

Nehemiah 4:6-23

We hear all the time that Advent is a season of hope. Christmas is exciting, joyful, a time to celebrate. At first glance, this Nehemiah passage might not seem joyful and exciting. The Jews were having a rough time of rebuilding their city. They had adversaries who came against them. They felt like they had to be on the defense constantly. I bet they feared for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. But reread this passage, and pay attention to the hope. Pay attention to verses like verse 9, “But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat,” and verse 15, “When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.” Nehemiah is telling the story of his people’s battle against their enemy, and how God was on their side.

In a season of hope and joy, the battle of the world still rages on. The enemy still tries to sneak in and attack. Sometimes it can feel, especially around this time of year, that everything is working against you. When we feel this way, we have to remember that God is on our side. And remember also that he equips us to fight back.

Nehemiah’s people worked with their tools in one hand and their weapons in the other. They were always ready to combat their enemy. God, through Christ, gives us the power to combat the enemy. Our weapons are prayer, Christian fellowship, his Word. Our weapons are quiet time with the Lord in a crazy busy season. Our weapons are kindness and generosity to those in need. This is a fight fed by hope—hope that God is doing his good and righteous work in our world, rebuilding brokenness.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.

Reflection:

What redeeming work is God doing in your life right now?

What lies might the enemy be telling you to try and disrupt God’s work in you and how is God equipping you to stand up and fight in hope?

Comment below or email here to add to the conversation!

Hope Guaranteed

Hebrews 6:17-20

As we approach Christmas, God wants us to know that he delivers on his promises.  His word is unbreakable and unchanging.  He’s not going to say one thing and do another.  

Today’s passage talks about being encouraged and taking hold of the hope set before us.  The hope of Jesus is an anchor for the soul.  It grounds us and keeps us secure.  How comforting is it to know that when God says he’ll save his people, he saves his people.

So, during these turbulent times when nothing feels safe, we can rely on Him.  We can be secure in the knowledge, that while it may feel like our world is crumbling, there is hope.  The hope of a savior born in a manger.  Come Lord, come.  We anxiously await you.

Waiting with Hope

It all began with Mary, a young teen who was engaged to be married. As with many soon-to-be-married girls, her whole life lay out before her, only she didn't understand how exciting it would be. 

I won't presume to describe her emotions after the angel Gabriel told her, "The Lord is with you...You will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call him Jesus." How did this young girl respond? "I am the Lord's servant, may your word to me be fulfilled." (Luke 1:28,31,38) This blind faith was stunning, and from one so young.

Now, the waiting began. How many times have we faced unexpected changes to our plans? Like the letter from the bank demanding we pay up now, or that threatening note from the IRS stating they want to talk. How about the diagnosis, the pink-slip...and on? What were our reactions? God knew these things were coming, just like He knew Mary's future. Do we react at all like Mary did? Do we acknowledge He is in control, do we believe in a Jesus, a Hope we can cling to? 

As we continue waiting during Advent, let’s examine our lives. Instead of deciding which New Year's resolution to embrace for a few days, let's pray about one word for 2020 to remind us of Jesus. Let's use our one word to grow us spiritually closer to God by searching for it each time we read from our Bibles. Dig deep into that special Word and let it speak to our waiting hearts.

My Word for 2020 is Trust and Proverbs 3:5-6 and the scriptures God will begin using to instill this discipline into my heart.

Comment below or email here.

Romans 12:9-16

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him…”

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him…”


Lamentations 3:19-27


The book of Lamentations is a collection of poetic laments (“passionate expression of grief or sorrow”) over the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the exile of Judah’s inhabitants by the Babylonians in 586 BC.  My study bible says the authorship of  Lamentations is uncertain, although ancient tradition claims that the prophet Jeremiah wrote it.  The book consists of five chapters with one, two, four, and five each containing 22 verses of lament (the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet).  Chapter three, (today’s reading) which has 66 chapters (3 x 22), brings hope!  


If we review today’s reading we learn of a God of hope, love, compassion, faithfulness, and salvation.  Verses 26 and 27 read as follows:  “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”


We are currently in the season of Advent.  Based on the Latin word “coming”, Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation for Christ’s coming to us, not only at Christmas as a baby, but through the Word and Sacraments, and ultimately as “Christ Triumphant” on the last day.  


Like the author of Lamentations, we have sorrows and failures that are part of the sinful world that we live in.  But we have so much more -- the fulfillment of God’s love for us through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks during this season of Advent for Jesus and our God of hope, love, faithfulness, and salvation!


Dear God, thank-you for Christmas.  Thank you for remembering us and sending the gift of your Son to rescue us from sin and our “sorrows”.  Help us share that gift with others during this Advent season. Amen.

Reactions, Regret and Hope

1 Peter 1:13-23

As humans, we tend to react to things as they happen, with more raw emotion than thought.  Reading today’s passage, I was struck by verse 20, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”  God doesn’t react in the moment - things have been planned since before time.  God has always known what he was/is going to do.

There is intention behind everything that comes from God and for us, being “holy in all we do” is a call to be intentional.  We need to think about it, plan for it.  If we leave our reactions up to mere chance, then we’re likely to find ourselves in some unholy places.

And just as being holy takes intention, to “set your hope on grace” also takes consideration.  Hope is based on planning ahead.  Hope itself means a desire for a certain thing to happen; wanting something to happen or be the case.

I’ve heard some people say hope is futile.  That it’s for fools and the weak.  I’m guessing they haven’t read Acts 2:23-28 from The Message, “this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:

I saw God before me for all time.

    Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side.
I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
    I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you’ll never dump me in Hades;
    I’ll never even smell the stench of death.
You’ve got my feet on the life-path,
    with your face shining sun-joy all around.

Pitching my tent in the land of hope makes it so much easier to resist conforming to evil desires, which implies impulsivity, the consequence of which is regret.  But with God there are no regrets and life with no regrets sounds pretty good.

Peace and a New Creation

 2 Corinthians 5:16-19

It is so curious that I have these scriptures to write on this day because February 18 is the date my husband went to spend the rest of all eternity with Jesus. What a glorious day indeed! That sounds trite, but true nonetheless. We, as a family, dreaded this day for 11 weeks, but once it arrived we knew the words in these verses rang true.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Most certainly, Dave was a new creation and he now has the peace that passes all understanding. It is easier to write these words than it would have been 6 or 7 years ago. If you have recently lost someone, a parent, spouse, child, friend, find peace and hope in the words of scripture.

The words from Philippians 4:7 (which I recently memorized), offers a new kind of calming balm for me. "...and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  

Relationships are tricky and messy, but they are worth the effort to build up in a healthy fashion. The mess can be made wonderful with a little time and lots of love. Because none of us are perfect, we have to learn how to overlook flaws and shortcomings in others -- as they do the same for us.

Life is too short to hold a grudge or feel animosity toward others. Let's use this week to let someone know how important they are to us. Let's bless someone with a smile, a kind word and maybe a handwritten note.

Hope for the Broken-Hearted

We began a new sermon series this week on “Thankfulness” using Psalm 138 as our scripture reference.  This psalm is full of good stuff, but I’d like to dig into just a few verses.  Verses 3, 6-7 say, “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”  “Though the Lord is on high, He looks upon the lowly, but the proud He knows from afar.  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.” (there is a study note in my Bible that says – He looks upon the lowly “with favor”).  These verses reference back to Psalm 113:5-6 which says, “Who is like the Lord, our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?”  Also, Isaiah 57:15 which says, “For this is what the high and lofty One says – “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Are you brokenhearted?  Do you think you are so unhappy that this can’t be what God had planned for your life?  Here’s some good news for you!  God himself will revive your broken heart!  Maybe things have happened to you, so you can experience God himself reviving your heart!  What might this look like?  Is there an example of this in the Bible you ask?  Yes, there is!  Psalm 18:6 says, “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.  From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.”

The psalmist could have just said, “God helped me.”  But instead, in Psalm 18:9, 16-17, he gives us this great picture of how God helped him:

“He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under His feet.”  “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.  He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.” 

Isn’t that fantastic?  God is in His temple and yet our cries come into His ears.  This reminds me of James 5:4 which says, “The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.”  He is not too big or mighty or busy to hear our cries.  Then, not only does He hear our cries, He takes action in a big way by parting the heavens and reaching down from on high to pull us out of the depths.  Aren’t you thankful to serve such an amazing God?  Let’s give Him praise with all our hearts!!

But Really, It’s the Beginning

Matthew 24:22-31

One day this past week, just as I was leaving the office, the sirens went off. It was a tornado warning. We’d already had heavy rains accompanied by high winds. Now the sky was dark. The trees were still. It was all very ominous. But I wasn’t going to wait until 6:30 when the warning was supposed to be over.

 During my drive home, I listened to the talk radio station. A local meteorologist was on the air. As the sirens were screaming to “run and hide”, he was warning everyone to “find your safe place”.

He went through the list. “If you have a basement, go there. If you don’t, go to a room without a window. And if you’re in your car”… you’re screwed. He didn’t really say that, but it’s what I thought.

He was on the air for over thirty minutes dispensing a message of fear; of impending disaster. Afterwards, the announcer on the following program shared how when he was a little boy he was so afraid of thunder that when he heard a loud clap, five seconds later he would throw up. It was like clockwork.

You’d think it was the end of the world. Maybe it was.

²⁹ “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.          NLT

I’ve never been that interested in the “end times”. The guys who carry a sandwich board declaring the end of the world, are an oddity to me. It’s not that I don’t believe; it just seems irrelevant to right now. Following Jesus is difficult enough without worrying about something that’s been predicted since Jesus was on earth.

 I think that the question to ask is, “Who is in control”? The answer is Jesus. Knowing that he is in control, makes life bearable; makes life meaningful; makes life hopeful. And when he does return, it will be apparent to all.

 ²⁷ For the Son of Man will come like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west... ³¹ The great trumpet will sound, and he will send out his angels to the four corners of the earth, and they will gather his chosen people from one end of the world to the other.   GNT

 THE END…

But really, it’s the beginning.

Our Glorious Future

READ: Romans 8:18-25

Anticipation. How often something wonderful is preceded by a long wait!

It began with childhood Christmases and the month-long excitement over all the toys I wanted. I was certain I would get them. And I did. (Yes, I was a spoiled child.)

Then it was entertainment - WrestleMania was my favorite annual spectacular and each year I counted down its coming by watching the complete anthology of past events. The 34th edition is this Sunday, and it’s going to be awesome!

Then there’s the events we can’t countdown on a calendar - achieving our dreams, meeting our spouses, conceiving our children. We work and strive and seek and chase and try, the whole time trusting that our efforts will be rewarded, that someday God will bless us.

But sometimes he doesn’t. Some people never achieve their dreams. Some never get married. Some are never able to conceive. And we begin to doubt. The wait is so long and so uncertain, we begin to wonder: Will it ever happen?

How wonderful is hope and anticipation! How soul-crushing is doubt and despair!

Remember the doll at the end of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Disappointed yet again, she whimpers, “I haven’t any dreams left to dream.” (Not familiar? Picture a Cleveland Browns fan.)

Yes, my friends, sometimes the disappointments are so frequent and so many we cease to hope. We lose faith, become jaded, and go through life doubting that it will ever get any better. 

To this Jesus asks, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)

WHEN!!! Not if, WHEN!!!

Anticipation. How often something wonderful is preceded by a long wait!

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

1 Peter 3:18-22

One thing almost everybody admits to being afraid of is, speaking in front of a crowd.
About twenty-five years ago, I joined a Toastmasters Club to improve my public speaking and confidence.

Each week the ladies who organized it would honor one of the speakers of the day with some special recognition that they would make up. It was silly, but having received one of their honors, it felt good to be recognized because you knew that you had overcome your fear. You knew that you had gone outside your comfort zone.  You knew that you were growing.

We all like recognition. We all like to be honored. James and John, two of Jesus’ closest disciples, asked if they could sit in the seats of honor next to Jesus when he became king. Of course they had no idea what they were asking. But Jesus knew.

Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”        Mark 10:38 NLT

In fact, Jesus was able to endure the suffering because of what he knew would follow. What he knew was on the other side of the cross.

 ¹⁸ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. ²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.          NLT

 Jesus knew that one day he would sit in the seat of honor with his Heavenly Father. He knew that he would hear His Father again saying, “This is my son whom I love. With you I am well pleased.” Those words were enough to carry Jesus through all the pain and suffering that he endured.

 Like Jesus, it will help us to endure the pain and suffering of this world if we keep in front of us that day when we will be in His Presence in hopes of hearing Him say to us, “You are my son; you are my daughter whom I love. With you I am well pleased.”

Victory in a Broken World!

Revelation 19:1-8

We live in a broken world!

·         In 2017 Columbus had a record setting number of homicides of 143.

·         Opioid addiction has become an epidemic in the United States.

·         Virtually every day in the news there’s a new revelation about a sex scandal. Most recently, it involved a world renowned doctor who sexually abused young girls.

 This is a very short list of headliner examples of our broken world. Sometimes we don’t even need to go any further than our front door for an example. Is the world any worse today than the first century when women and children were considered property, temple prostitutes were common place and Christians were martyred?

 John wrote Revelation from the island of Patmos, a Roman penal colony. While there God spoke to him through an angel in a highly symbolic style. 

“Praise the Lord!
    Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.
² His judgments are true and just.
    He has punished the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality.
    He has avenged the murder of his servants.”           NLT

 The “great prostitute” that John refers to is symbolic for Babylon which was the political, commercial and religious center of its day. It was also the center of moral decay and decadence. Today, we have our own version of the Great Prostitute still seducing people to do evil.

“Hallelujah!” which means “Praise the Lord”, is written four times in these eight verses. Why? Into this broken world, God sent His only son as an innocent baby. How ironic. His son brought the Good News. He brought hope and a future. He brought forgiveness and redemption. Therefore, let us…

⁶ …”Praise the Lord!
    For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. NLT

Hallelujah! The Almighty reigns!

Job's Life Turns Inside Out

READ: Job 2:11-13

Ever seen the Disney movie Inside Out? If not, drop everything and go watch it. Seriously. I’ll wait. Just bookmark this page so you remember to read the devotional when you’re done.

Welcome back. Great movie, right? And now you understand that sometimes people just have to be sad. In fact, Matthew 5:4 says sadness is a blessing: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Not comforted by joy, but by the blessing of those willing to mourn with them. That is what Job’s friends do when they tear their robes, sprinkle dust on their heads, and sit with him in wordless silence. And that is what Paul instructs us to do: Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15)

Mourning is good. It’s purposeful. We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4)

Hope, not joy. For hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? (Romans 8:24)

But what great hope we have in the Lord! 

The Lord with surely comfort Zion

and will look with compassion on all her ruins;

He will make her deserts like Eden,

her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.

Joy and gladness will be found in her, 

thanksgiving and the sound of singing. (Isaiah 51:3)

Now that hope is a comfort worth sharing!

Rejoice! Rejoice!

December 10                                                Second Sunday of Advent                                      

Scripture Reading
Read Jeremiah 33:10-16 and reflect on the passage.

"The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah." In the middle of a terrible time, God reveals a future hope and new covenant to His people. Jeremiah encounters the good news of Christ 600 years before it becomes reality. They are under attack and yet there is hope? 

Yes, hope is like that – it comes in the midst of pain, or uncertainty. Hope in this passage is rooted in the action of God. Jesus will be perfectly faithful, where Israel had failed. Here we see the essence of the Gospel – God doing for us what we can't do for ourselves.

The birth of Christ is an incredible picture of God's faithfulness to us. Because God has been faithful to his promises over and over again, we can have real hope. Not a birthday wish or "Good luck with that!" empty feeling, but a solid, historically rooted hope. The prophet Jeremiah shows us that we can be real about the problems in life when we are rooted in the promises of God. We have hope because God keeps His promises!

What is your definition of hope? Is it a deeply rooted thing that assures you or a flimsy wish? When have you experienced God's faithfulness? How does that encourage you to follow God today and into the future? Give yourself some space this week to be reminded of God’s faithfulness. 

Prayer

Dear God, we echo the words of Jeremiah 33:11. We give thanks to You, Lord. You are good and Your love endures forever!

Aaron Thompson and David White

Weak Made Strong, In Christ Alone

Cornerstone

11 Jesus is

  “‘the stone you builders rejected,
   which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12

I am not an architect, so after reading today’s passage I quickly went to google to look up the meaning of cornerstone.  Wikipedia defined cornerstone as,

The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

How cool is it that? Jesus is called the cornerstone, or the “stone” that will be a reference to all other “stones”, which is us.  Jesus is our reference.  Salvation is found in no one else. We look to him for how to live. We look to him when we need to know how to respond to conflict. He is our reference when striving to put others needs before our own. We don't need to look any further.

I couldn’t help but be reminded of a worship song that I love titled, “Cornerstone”, by Hillsong.  

The chorus says,

“Christ alone, cornerstone.

Weak made strong in the Saviors love.  

Through the storm He is Lord, Lord of all.

Christ alone is Lord of all!  He is the answer to the problems of the world.  Seek him today for your comfort.  I have linked the song, Cornerstone if you want to listen to it.  Just click here or on the picture above to enjoy the music.

Have a blessed day.

Read today's passage here Acts 4:8-12