10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:10-11 CJB
10 Here comes Adonai Elohim with power, and his arm will rule for him. Look! His reward is with him, and his recompense is before him. 11 He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering his lambs with his arm, carrying them against his chest, gently leading the mother sheep.”
9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c] lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
Isaiah 40:9 CJB
9 You who bring good news to Tziyon, get yourself up on a high mountain; you who bring good news to Yerushalayim, cry out at the top of your voice! Don’t be afraid to shout out loud! Say to the cities of Y’hudah, “Here is your God!
Lift Up Your Voice Diverse Choir Source: clker.com
6 A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Isaiah 40:6-8 CJB
6 A voice says, “Proclaim!” And I answer, “What should I proclaim?” “All humanity is merely grass, all its kindness like wildflowers: 7 the grass dries up, the flower fades, when a wind from Adonai blows on it. Surely the people are grass! 8 The grass dries up, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Artist Credit: Valerie Sjodin | Source: Pinterest Can you feel Him? I can!
3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 40:3-5 CJB
3 A voice cries out: “Clear a road through the desert for Adonai! Level a highway in the ‘Aravah for our God! 4 Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill lowered, the bumpy places made level and the crags become a plain. 5 Then the glory of Adonai will be revealed; all humankind together will see it, for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.”
1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
Isaiah 40:1-2 CJB
1“Comfort and keep comforting my people,” says your God. 2 “Tell Yerushalayim to take heart; proclaim to her that she has completed her time of service, that her guilt has been paid off, that she has received at the hand of Adonai double for all her sins.”
Image Source: Pinterest Comfort – Bressi Collection | Minimal Art
Let’s continue to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Shall we?
Our journey will take us to Christmas, where we will find hope and redemption to renew our faith, whatever that faith may be.
In the previous post, we explored how Christmas found its place on December 25 and how it was rooted in the ancient festival of Saturnalia.
The next three blog posts will focus on the significance of the wise men’s gifts to Baby Jesus. Today, we start with what Matthew had to say.
Ever wonder where the Magi brought their gifts?
The Three Magi Magi Mags royalty-free vector graphic by pixabay dot com
Let’s see what the Bible has to say in Matthew 2.
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matthew 2:9-12
Does it Really Matter?
So, we understand the story. King Herod sent the wise men to find the Baby. But the text doesn’t reveal how the wise men came to possess the gifts.
Did King Herod give them to the wise men?
Or did the wise men buy them along the way?
Or, perhaps they had these gifts along, waiting for the right time to give them away.
No, it doesn’t matter at all. The Wise Men presented Jesus’ holiness and signified that Jesus came to Earth to save our souls. And that is what matters most.
Divine Mystery
There is no doubt these gifts had divine mystery. There were profoundly more than mere symbols of wealth. These gifts speak to Jesus’ life and the hope He offers. Their meaning unlocks the keys to everlasting life.
In the next post, we’ll unwrap these treasures and uncover their significance. We will start with gold – A gift fit for a King!
Let’s prepare our hearts for Christmas over the next two weeks. Shall we?
Our journey will take us to Christmas, where we will find hope and redemption to renew our faith, whatever that faith may be.
We will be looking at Isaiah 40. But first, we start with Isaiah 7.
Ever wonder where the prophetic birth of Jesus comes from?
Immanuel
Prediction from the Old Testament to Recorded Event in the New Testament
Isaiah 7:14 NIV
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Matthew 1:23 NIV
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Isaiah 7:14 CJB
Therefore Adonai himself will give you people a sign: the young woman* will become pregnant, bear a son and name him ‘Immanu El [God is with us].
Matthew 1:23 CJB
20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet, 23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call him ‘Immanuel.” The name means, “God is with us.”)
Isaiah foretells the birth of Jesus.
It seems clear as a bell to me. Or is it?
We know two things: A woman will give birth. The baby will be named Immanuel.
In the NIV, the woman is a virgin and will conceive, and in the CJB, the woman is young and will become pregnant.
Now, this is where it gets fuzzy. As we know it, the Bible is not in chronological order, so it muddles our perception a bit.
To keep it simple, remember: Isaiah was written after Hosea and Amos. Thereby making it the third oldest sacred text. The Gospel of Mark was written before the Gospel of Matthew. Even though Matthew is listed as the first book in the New Testament.
In Matthew, the author records the birth as a fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah. We see an 8th-century writing predicting an event recorded in 80 AD.
Let’s continue to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Shall we?
Our journey will take us to Christmas, where we will find hope and redemption to renew our faith, whatever that faith may be.
In the previous post, we knawed on the prophetic words that predicted Jesus’ birth.
Today, we will reveal…
How Christmas Really Began
The Roots of Christmas
Remember that Christianity didn’t really spread until the 300-400s when Constantine declared Christianity as Rome’s religion. Before that time, there were other religions involving many gods and goddesses.
The Roman Catholic Church is believed to have chosen December 25 to celebrate Christ’s birth due to its ties with the winter solstice and the festival of Saturnalia, a time of feasting and gift-giving. Adapting these existing celebrations facilitated the transition to Christianity.
The winter solstice symbolized the sun’s “rebirth,” which aligns directly with the theme of Jesus, the “Light of the World.” Doesn’t it?
This strategy helped convert pagans by integrating already established traditions into Christian practices. Pretty straightforward.
Does It Really Matter?
Ultimately, the significance of Jesus’ birth is to celebrate the Son of God taking on human form. This miraculous event is one of the cornerstones of Christianity. And giving gifts honors the age-old story of the wise men bringing gifts to baby Jesus. So, does it really matter that it is December 25?
No, it doesn’t matter at all. What matters is that a Savior was born, and He is Christ the King.
As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, remember we are on a transformative journey from darkness into light, from prophecy to fulfillment.
In our next post, we will dig deeper into the gifts the wise men presented to baby Jesus.
Penny is hardly described as a political person, which is ironic since she holds a master’s degree in public administration. She took several government courses and found them interesting at the time. But that is another story.
Today, Penny wants to write about how she is dealing with the polarization of political views where she lives. It could be scary to some.
An Alien in a Foreign Land
Yet, for Penny…She is not of this world. She is an alien in a foreign land. At least, that is how she has felt since the day she was born.
Penny’s hope is in her faith. Her faith drives her to calmness. To hopefulness. To gratitude.
How Awesome is the Universe?
She can’t imagine how any human can question how the universe was formed. It didn’t just happen. Did it?
Penny spent many waking hours wondering how the universe was formed. How the stars got to be in the sky, and why the sun doesn’t fall out of the sky.
For Penny, the universe is how it is. It is awesome, as is nature itself.
Penny had a few experiences that made her think twice about coincidences. Like when she was in a car accident, and the car flipped over three times. She and her two friends walked away with minor scrapes and bruises.
Or when she had $3 and change and didn’t know how she would buy groceries. She had to decide: “Do I pay my bills or eat?” Then, a $200 check arrived in the mail, which was the exact amount to cover the difference between her inflows and outflows. For two years! The check came each month, and she could buy fresh food for dinner for her and her youngest child. Her older child chose to live with his father and not speak to her for over a decade.
So, you may ask, how could Penny have faith when her kid didn’t talk to her?
Or that her marriage failed her after repeatedly praying that it wouldn’t?
Good questions!
Life is Funny
Life is funny that way.
It doesn’t always go the way you expected. And there lies the rub.
Penny believes we must place our whole selves into the hands of our Creator and follow the inner voice in our hearts. It’s pretty simple. Although it took her a long time to figure it out.
Penny’s prayer went like this in 2015: “Almighty God, I have tried to find a job to no avail. I fully surrender to your will. I will expand my job search to a national level and go where you lead.”
A few months later, she was on her way to a foreign land. (the midwest)
Now, let’s get back to the day at hand. The day after the Election of 2024.
Just like any other day. A day where Penny will put her trust in the Almighty God and go where she is led.
Today, her prayer is: “Almighty Creator of the Universe, You define the trajectory of the world. I fully surrender to your will. I will go where you lead. I trust you will give me the strength and energy for what lies ahead.”
O Spirit of Opal, Awaken your creativity, As you fascinate us with your rich spiritual guise. Transform us with your imagination, And lead us to where we need to go.
Adorn our sacred spaces with divine presence, So we may focus our minds and open our hearts. Provide protection over us, While we foster deep introspection and emotional clarity.
O Spirit of Opal, Stones of metamorphosis. Grant us divine revelation, As you purify us for heavenly glory.
Image Source: Boulder opal, Queensland by Stuart Humphreys – Australian Museum
I and Thou Reflections 