Alleluia

Psalm 80:1-7
Isaiah 66:7-11
Luke 13:31-35

This will probably be my last post before Christmas. Tomorrow's readings are for the fourth Sunday of Advent, then Christmas Eve and Christmas day have a set of three different readings. I will post lists of those tomorrow. I'm glad I have done this during Advent. It is good to sit down and wrestle with Scripture first thing in the morning during a season that can feel incredibly busy. I will have to decide what I will do here, if anything, after Christmas. (Comments are appreciated if you would like to see this keep going. I am truly on the fence.)

As I look at these final readings of Advent, there seems to be one overwhelming message. God loves the people He created. He longs to love them, care for them, nurture them, gather them to Himself. God loves you. God loves me. He wants to care for us as a shepherd cares for his flock. He wants to love us as a mother loves the little baby nursing at her breast. He wants to protect us as a hen protects the chicks who huddle underneath her. (And if you've even been attacked by a chicken (I have), you know this is a fierce protection.) God is there, waiting, looking down the road, waiting, for a child to walk towards Him. And then, when that child is just a dot in the distance, He will run with open arms to that child and celebrate.

Turn to God and admit you just can't do this life-thing on your own. Turn to God and He will be there, waiting, waiting, waiting, to shower His infinite and eternal love on you. He held back nothing for this to be possible. It's why Jesus was born. It's why Jesus died.

For you.

For love.

For you.

Turn.

Turn and reach towards God as a baby reaches for his mother.

God will be there.

He is waiting.

He is born. He is risen.

Alleluia!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Something new

Psalm 80:1-7 Isaiah 42:10-18 Hebrews 10:32-35 If there is one thing that Jesus' birth is, it is God doing something new. It was so new that even though there are as many as 400 prophesies pointing toward Jesus, it still caught everyone of guard. A baby, born to average parents, laid in a manger because the inn was full, was to become the long awaited Messiah, the savior of God's people. Yet, He didn't come with armies. He didn't overthrow the Roman government. Heck, He didn't even suggest overthrowing the government. Instead, He did the opposite. He talked about loving your neighbor... and your enemy, being forgiving, being generous, and returning to God, so that the father who waits for you can run and welcome you home with open arms. Jesus was a man, yet also God. Turn to God, follow Jesus, and you will be saved. A result of that is God will write His law on your heart and mind, and you will be able to do the crazy kind of loving that Jesus calls us to do. T
Read more

True change

Psalm 80:1-7 Isaiah 42:10-18 Hebrews 10:32-39 Morning appointments and time to think and write seem to be mutually exclusive for me. And to make it worse, the early morning rushing around and going was for naught, because my holiday-addled brain got the time wrong, and we missed the appointment. It left me kind of kicking myself for much of the remaining day. We all have personal expectations for how we should live and act and think. I don't think I'm wrong when I say that not a single one of us lives up to our own personal expectations. Isn't that why there are shelves and shelves of books about this very topic every year? How to be a better you... How to ditch those expectations because they're not good for you, girl... How to accept and love yourself. The trouble is, all of this advice is written by flawed, human authors. It's only going to go so far, because like its authors, the advice is flawed. It can't truly change us. Only God can do that. Only
Read more

Opposite of fear

Isaiah 12:2-6 Amos 9:8-15 Luke 1:57-66 We talked a lot about fear yesterday. Over the past years, I have thought a lot about what the opposite emotion of fear is. I think these three passages show us. The opposite of fear is joy. Joy that God is strong enough to be our fortress and salvation. Joy that God is a god of restoration. Joy that God will love us forever. Joy that God has created a way that all of this is even possible. Advent is the preparation for God's great mercy. The birth of His son who came to make all things right. For the beginning of the restoration. For the avenue that we can be with God forever and experience His blessings. We do not need to be filled with fear. God is on the throne and He is capable. Our joy comes from acknowledging this and trusting that God is capable and lovingly cares for us. Joy. Not fear.
Read more