Isaiah and Jesus, Prince of Peace

December 12, 2024December 11, 2024 ~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

The coming of a peace-keeping ruler had to sound as good in Isaiah’s time as it does today. As a remnant of God’s faithful people grieved at the surrounding godlessness, Isaiah’s words must have sounded sweet—a Prince of Peace would be born to rule on David’s throne.

Think for a minute about the conditions the Jews were living in. Their leadership was corrupt. their religion compromised, and their enemies roaring and advancing. While Isaiah warned the people about captivity as the consequence of their sin, he also prophesied deliverance—on two levels. They would be brought out of human bondage and, more significantly, they would be delivered from spiritual bondage by the coming Messiah. He would be the Prince of Peace. Peace—a word that fills the heart with longing.

“He will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.”

Now consider the conditions we currently live in. South Korea called for martial law. The Syrian regime was overturned. Gaza is decimated. Ukraine fights on, suffering bloodshed and destruction. Russia threatens nuclear warfare. Mysterious drones hover over New Jersey and Iran is suspect. In NYC a murderer has been praised and a hero has been demonized.

Isaiah steps into our chaos and assures us,

“A child is born, to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on His shoulders.”

We need more than a political leader. We need the Prince of Peace whose government and peace will be endless and who will reign with justice and righteousness (see verse 7). But it is not for salvation from wars and wickedness so we can live in a safe environment.

We need the Prince of Peace who will rule in our hearts and minds now, and rule over the heavenly kingdom in our future. As much as we long for peace on earth, it is not enough—we need peace within and assurance for tomorrow. Jesus is brought to the forefront of our minds at Christmas. Let us make certain He is also in the forefront of our hearts.

Immanuel

December 5, 2024December 4, 2024 ~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

This beloved Christmas verse evokes a sense of warmth with its familiarity and fulfillment. However, the comfort it offers is often not as deep as its context. It is far more than an oh, yay, another prophecy of the Messiah!

The words that follow verse 14 describe the devastation that will come upon God’s people—their city and the temple will be destroyed; the Jews will be captured and brought into exile. I find it interesting that Isaiah doesn’t prepare them for their captivity with a call to repentance or a speech about endurance. Instead he points them to an event in the far future, beyond their 70 years of bondage, beyond 400 years of silence from Heaven. What he gives them is hope for their ultimate deliverance.

Immanuel, God with us, will be born.

We are still a suffering people. Like the Jews Isaiah spoke to, we feel the pain of desolation, the loss of people we love, the anxiety of an insecure future, the disappointment of our frailty—all keen reminders that we are not “home.” That’s why Isaiah’s words are also for us.

At Christmas we will enjoy festive decorations, giving and receiving gifts, gathering with family and friends, and singing familiar carols. But they will soon be filed under “Christmas 2024” and we will continue to face the troubles and trials of life. The deep and lasting joy we find in Christmas is not only that the Messiah has come, but that He will come again. And He will bring us home, to the place we were created for.

When we say, “Merry Christmas” is not about a day dubbed “the most wonderful day of the year” but for the promised day when, not only will God be with us, but when we will be with Him.

I am Thankful for my Future

November 28, 2024November 26, 2024 ~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

I am thankful for my faith, my family, and my friends—and I am abundantly thankful for my future.

At this point in life, I’m acutely aware of two things—the speed of time and the frailty of life. This can distress me when I speak my age, look in a magnifying mirror, forget a name, or schedule another doctor’s appointment. I become reflective and longingly remember days of high energy, full schedules, and arthritis-free living. But mostly, I am thankful.

I look beyond the unknown length of my days and put weaknesses of body and mind in perspective. I don’t know when my years will end but I know when my life will begin!

I have a future with no expiration date. I will live it in a body made new. I will have no physical or mental limitations. Every longing of my soul will be met. Every wonder of nature will be explored. Every gift and talent will be exercised. Every new experience will be enjoyed.

I will see Jesus and the fulness of His love! I will worship God in all His glory and be amazed! I will laugh with my daughter, walk with my parents, converse with the saints!

So as the days pass, I will not regard time as the waning of life, but as the nearing of perfect life. I will silence whispers of disappointment and align my perspective with truth. I will count on God’s faithfulness and savor His favor. And my heart will swell because of the future that awaits me.

I am thankful for my Future.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard…
the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9

I am Thankful for Family

November 21, 2024November 20, 2024 ~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

My husband and I have been married for 56 years. We raised five children and are blessed to love 11 grandchildren. They are the ones I love the deepest and pray for the longest. Rich and I are each one of five children which gives us a wide spectrum of nieces and nephews, near and far, whom I also love and pray for. In this large family, not one is perfect. Not one is without problems. Some have distanced themselves. But they are “my people” and I am profoundly thankful for each one.

Additionally, my “family” extends beyond those numbered above. I have friends who have walked beside me in my happiest experiences and through my greatest sorrows. They have balanced me and cheered me on. They have overlooked my flaws and embraced me in my inadequacies. They know me at my worst but believe the best for me. They are “my people” and I am profoundly thankful for each one.

Then there is my church, which proclaims, “This is home. We are family.” And so they are. We are united in faith, merged in worship, and joined in love. It’s a large church so I only know a small fraction of the people, but I can walk up to any one of them on a Sunday morning for a hug or a prayer. It is a safe place where together we learn and grow, give and receive, fall and get up. They are “my people” and I am profoundly thankful for each one.

In the broadest sense, I have “family” all around me, walking my neighborhood and circling the globe. Whether they acknowledge it or not, we are our brothers’ keepers and all trace back to Adam. Therefore I will pray for them, care for them, and support them as I am able. I will resist pigeonholing and refuse name calling because each one was made in the image of God—they too are “my people.”

You may not have a large (or loving) family but we are not meant to do life alone. I encourage you to stretch. Reach out and touch someone. Be a blessing. And be thankful for whomever God has given you.