December 4
Friday, December 4: Jeremiah 1:4-10
In this passage, Jeremiah hears the word of the LORD say he has been chosen to be a prophet to the nations. The voice makes clear that Jeremiah was chosen and consecrated before he was born, which means he was not chosen for his devout nature or insight into the affairs of nations. The LORD is in charge in this assignment, not Jeremiah.
Jeremiah, understanding the fearsome task given to him, objects that he is only a boy and doesn’t know what to say. The LORD brushes this aside and tells him that he will go where he is sent and will say what he’s told to say. He doesn’t need to be afraid of what people will do to him, since the LORD will keep him safe.
Next, the LORD, apparently standing before Jeremiah, touches his mouth, putting into it the words that he is to say. He appointed Jeremiah over nations and gave him power to build and destroy. The boy seems to be speechless as he anticipates the abuses he might receive from the people in power who will not want to hear the LORD’s judgments against them coming from a boy’s mouth.
In the Advent season, we contemplate the coming birth of Jesus, who also was chosen before his birth to deliver the LORD’S words to people. These words were good news for the people, but raised doubts about the religious leadership. Jesus, like Jeremiah, humbled himself and was in trouble because he did what he was told to do by the LORD.
Greta Thunberg is a young person who speaks true, frightening words about climate crisis. She says that if we keep making excuses, then we will not change our destructive behavior. The evidence is clear that the climate crisis is underway, but we have trouble hearing the messenger’s words. During Advent, we hope we can hear the truth-sayers and find a saving change in us.
Joe Hall
December 3
Thursday, December 3: Hosea 6:1-6
In some old Andy Griffiths, Andy would sometimes in exasperation say to Barney, "You beat everything, you know that?" Similarly, in old Hosea chapter 6, the Lord in exasperation says, "O Ephraim... O Judah... what shall I do with you?" Having pleaded through Hosea, "Come," He says in the same breath (well, kinda) , "I've torn you because you beat everything, you know that?"
I wonder if we in the States "beat everything," too, having been "torn" in our lifetimes with: -- yearly, massive, destructive hurricanes; yearly, massive, destructive fires; tornadoes, droughts, floods; a deadly virus outbreak; highway tragedies; gun tragedies; addictions; delusion; racism; war.
It isn't for me to state that these adversities have come from the hand of God, but divinely sourced or self-inflicted or both, they have torn us apart. What gives? In Matthew, the Lord Jesus offers a clue, revealing something about mankind... and Himself: --"Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy not sacrifice,'"-- and again "... if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy not sacrifice'." (9:13 and 12:7 NRSV) It is apparent then that the outward form must step aside and an inward merciful motive--and the making of it real--must stand preeminent.
As the sacrificed, resurrected, central figure of history, as the One who settled for all time the plea, "Come," the Lord offers the mercies of morning light and "spring rain," of healing and "binding up." These gentle gifts are not transactional in consequence of "burnt offerings" but are the natural liberalities transferred from within the knowledge of God. "Come... He has struck down... on the third day He will raise us up."(Hosea 6:1-2 NRSV) A prophet's mystery revealed by an apostle's insight: All in Adam, now all in the Last Adam, displayed at the Nativity, consummated at the Empty Tomb. Marvelous!
Larry Inman
December 2
Wednesday, December 2: Micah 5:1-5
Micah was a prophet living in the 8th century BC during the days when Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah while Assyria was considered the main superpower. He gave us this wonderful passage that in verse 2 is clearly a reference to Jesus Christ and his birthplace. “But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.“ (Micah 5:2). This was the same verse referenced by the chief priests and teachers of the law who told King Herod that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem in Judea. By faith we believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, full of grace and truth, who came into the world at the Father’s appointed time and fulfilled this prophecy.
From John 1:11 we know that “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Micah 5:3 says that “Therefore Israel will be abandoned until…”. Many interpret the rest of the verse to indicate that this hardening will only end when there is a conversion of the Jews as a whole people to Christ. Micah 5: 4 prophecies that “He will stand and shepherd his flock …. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth,” and Micah 5: 5 ends with this promise “And he will be their peace.” When this future prophecy of his return will be completely fulfilled, in general, I cannot tell you. I just know that for me, through faith in Jesus Christ, he is my peace now. Romans 5:1 says “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God,” My prayer is that all people will put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and receive the precious gift of eternal life that God is offering to each one.
Judy Hawkins
December 1
Tuesday, December 1: Micah 4:6-10
Things may look pretty bleak. We still haven’t beat our swords into ploughshares and nations still take up swords against other nations and train for war. We can’t even love our neighbor enough to wear a mask for her. We live in this messed-up world and wonder if we matter. The prophet Micah might describe us as the lame, the exiles, the grieving, and those who the bully throws aside. On our own we do not matter.
What can we cling to? What can we hang onto with confidence? We need to find something big, something audacious, something really humongous to hang onto. We do have something ginormous to hang onto and God gave it to us. He gave us his promise of a day, that day when he will make the lame his remnant. That day when God will assemble the exiles, the grieving, and the bullied and rule over them in Mount Zion forever.
But where does that leave us today? What do we do today? How do we face COVID-19, racial injustice and intolerance, and all the turmoil we see each day? We know that God is doing his work of restoration. He created us knowing we would fail him. He sent his son to save us but we are still in Babylon waiting to be rescued.
If God is working to restore his creation, then those whom God created in his image should also be doing God’s work. We can love our neighbor, we can speak out against intolerance and injustice, we can be the light of Christ in our world today. We must live in Babylon and do God’s work in Babylon with full confidence that on that day we will be rescued from Babylon.
One day He's coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day!
Craig Walker
November 30
Monday, November 30: Psalm 79:10-13
Some days it is easy to lose hope. I have prayed for a friend to find healing from cancer, and she did not live. I have a friend whose daughter was injured in a car accident and her whole church prayed for healing, but it did not happen. COVID-19 has brought sickness and death. A survey of ministers concluded that at least fifty-percent of churches may close their doors forever because of it. We do not always understand the ways God works or the things he allows, but we read in our Bible that “all things work together for good.” In this passage, the Hebrews’ pagan neighbors taunted them with the question “Where is their God?” (v. 10). They saw no evidence that God was present in their time of need when Jerusalem was destroyed. Then the nation was defeated and taken captive. The Hebrews themselves complained to God to act in their behalf.
For hundreds of years the Hebrew people kept looking for a Messiah, hoping for a deliverer—a savior from God. God let them suffer the consequences of their sins against Him. When . . . “ the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman . . . to redeem them” (Gal. 4:4-5). The King James translation says, “In the fulness of time” God sent his son.
God is in control of time. He is eternal. For him, a thousand years or a day are the same. His timing is always right. So, we can conclude that Christ came at the right time, a time when all things were ready for his coming. John opens his gospel with these words, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God . . . the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This is what we celebrate at the Advent season. He is the reason we have hope.
Lynda Pence
November 29
Sunday, November 29: Isaiah 64:1-9
Readiness
Along a street in Philadelphia, I recall,
the shadow of one wrapped in tattered cloth
beneath a tented cardboard sheet.
Three blocks to the Liberty Bell, nearer the Ritz,
around a corner from where
he will later sit and perhaps receive
a box of remains from some businessman’s breakfast.
Overhead, prophetic voices flash on electronic billboards:
“15 Minute Tests—No Waiting”
“Instant Credit”
“Free 2-day Shipping”
“Just do it!”
My father was a gentle man, encouraged patience,
but understood some folks might need to pass
before some others are free.
“Learn to labor and to wait.”
The hardest task of all is to wait for it, wait for it.
Come quickly Lord. I have a Zoom call at ten.
Emily D’s “thing with feathers”—hope—
survives as it may,
our own wishes little regarded,
and yet we dream of rising.
Somewhere an old broken bell tolls strangely
and we unroll ourselves
and stand to stretch our wings.
Perhaps today the promise . . .
Perhaps today our miracle arrives.
Doug Watson