Sign of Hope

“Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.” Isaiah 7:10-17

Sign of Hope

By Daniel Marolf

Most of you (myself included) upon reading this passage were probably confused until you got to verse 14. “What does this have to do with Adven… Oh! There it is! It’s Jesus!” But before we get to Jesus, let’s take a second to consider the other seven verses. For that, I need to tell a brief story (also found in 2 Kings 16:5-20). The story begins in the 8th century BC when Ahaz is the king of Judah. During his reign, the kings of Aram and Israel rebel against the king of the supremely-powerful Assyria, and they want Judah to help them in their fight. When Ahaz refuses, these two kings turn their attention first towards Judah, hoping to overthrow Ahaz by force and put their own king in place. Enter Isaiah (and our passage). Isaiah is telling Ahaz that all he needs to do is trust in Yahweh for help, not call upon Assyria (which he later does). The sign for Yahweh’s deliverance will be the birth of this baby boy, whose name would mean “God with us.” Isaiah explains that before this child is old enough to tell right from wrong, Yahweh would have delivered them from the hands of these two kings, whom Ahaz dreads. The birth of Immanuel was to be a sign of hope. Why does this matter? Fast-forward several centuries to the birth of Jesus, whom we, as Christians, declare with Matthew 1:22-23 to be “God with us.” The 1st century experience of the Jewish people was not a whole lot better than 8 th century experience. They were subject to Roman oppression and domination, able to worship Yahweh, but only on the terms of the Romans. When Jesus was born, his birth became a sign to everyone that God had not forgotten them. In fact, God was literally with them. The ancient predicament might sound similar to our modern predicament. With so much death, violence, and hatred throughout our society and our world, sometimes it seems like God has forgotten us. But then, we remember Jesus – “God with us.” As Christians, we believe that this world is not how it ought to be – that this death, violence, and hatred goes firmly against the plan God had for his world. Jesus is our sign of hope, reminding us constantly that God is working to make the world right.

Lord, thank you for being a God who is for us, who works through us, and who most importantly is with us. During this Christmas season, may we fix our eyes on Jesus and remember that you have not forgotten us and that you are working to make the world right. May your advent – your coming – this season be to us a reminder not only that you came, but that you are coming back. Praise the Lord!

December 4, 2017December 4, 2017

Continually Restored

“Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin. Selah
You withdrew all your wrath;
you turned from your hot anger.
Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
and put away your indignation toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
so that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.” Psalm 85

Continually Restored

By Ginny Smith

God created mankind and had a covenant with his chosen people. He cared for them, restored them and forgave them. But there was a pattern of his people returning to him and, as the psalmist says, always asking God to “restore us again” and “revive us again.” It seems that all they felt was his displeasure and anger. They realized they weren’t living up to his expectations. They fell short.

We fall short.

What our amazing God does when he sends Jesus, Emmanuel, to earth to live among us, is His ultimate act of restoration and revival.

God in all his righteousness and goodness reaches down from heaven and kisses the earth with the gift of his son. He provides access to Himself so we can be continually restored. He allows His “glory” to live in our land. He shows us that His “peace” can live in our hearts. He provides a living example of how to get along in this world He created.

Not only do we have written and oral expectations on how to live, we have a personal gift, a guide who now lives within us.

“The LORD will indeed give what is good.”

Our prayer O Lord is to recognize this wonderful gift you have given us. We are so amazed at your desire to be with us and to help us in all ways. Help us unwrap the present of your son and get to know him during this season of advent.

Through him we pray,

Amen

December 3, 2017December 3, 2017

The Gentle Work of Creation

Bering Drive Church of Christ Christmas Devotionals

“Now you are walled around with a wall; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the ruler of Israel upon the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace. If the Assyrians come into our land and tread upon our soil, we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight installed as rulers. They shall rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the drawn sword; they shall rescue us from the Assyrians if they come into our land or tread within our border. Then the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, shall be like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not depend upon people or wait for any mortal. And among the nations the remnant of Jacob, surrounded by many peoples, shall be like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, with no one to deliver. Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off.” Micah 5: 1-9

The Gentle Work of Creation

By Jeff Christian

As Jesus draws us nearer to him, we cannot help but become more like the Savior. During the season of Advent, we anticipate what the Lord has in store for our lives. How will Jesus shape us, create us, use us for glory?

We find ourselves somewhere in the middle of creation. The Lord has already done so much in our lives. Jesus has brought us salvation and taught us how to follow the way of ultimate truth. All we have to do is say “Yes” each day as we follow Jesus.

Since Jesus is from the beginning, “whose origin is from old, from ancient of days,” we join the Savior in the work that began before time. Micah 5 promises that “he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord.” Micah wrote this because his audience was mainly the leaders, the national figures who were so overtaken by their own greed that they forgot to care for the poor. This is likely why Micah 5:7 speaks of our dependence upon God far above the politicians and celebrities who fade faster than a twice-marked-down shirt off the sale rack.

God always preserves a remnant of the faithful, those who repent with gratitude, those of us who anticipate more to come. We need no credentials to apply, much less to continue. So, we meet Jesus in a manger, a gentle reminder that the entire world is made new in the humblest of moments.

December 2, 2017December 3, 2017

Tomorrow Advent Begins

This is a season of anticipation, a season of waiting and longing for what is coming. We not only focus on Jesus’ birth, but also prepare our hearts for Jesus’ second coming, which is yet to happen. It is in the midst of the waiting that we find those gifts Jesus’ presence will bring us: hope, love, joy, and peace.

Every day there is a short passage of Scripture for you to read. Bering church members have prepared a short devotional as you think about the Scripture and the life of Jesus. May these words stretch you, encourage you, and bless you as you long for our coming King.