Immanuel

" ...and they will call him Immanuel -

which means,

God with us."

Matthew 1:23

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"Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,"

Isaiah 53:4

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It would have been an amazing enough act of grace for God to send Jesus to pay for our sins. But he did even more. He sent Jesus to live here among us. To experience all of the consequences of sin - to take up our infirmities and carry our sorrows.

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"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses... Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Hebrews5:15,16

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"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men

on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:14

a shaped vessel

"And we know that in all things

God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:27

At first reading this sounds somewhat like a christian version of "and they lived happily ever after" - in the end God works it all out for good. But just what is "for the good"? And just what is "his purpose"? Next verse......

"For those God foreknew

he also predestined

to be conformed to the image of his Son,"

In other words, he so orders our lives, that all things are for the purpose shaping us to the image of his Son. Just what does that take? Jesus himself "although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) If Jesus who was perfect learned in this way, how can we, who are very far from perfect, expect to learn while living lives of ease? I know I am a slow learner in the easy times.

Yet, when things start going wrong in our lives, and we start worrying that everything is spinning out of control, we pray "God, quick fix this problem!" Maybe, what most needs fixing, is not "the problem", but we ourselves. God sees our lives as a whole, and these circumstances are just tools in his hands as he shapes us to better reflect Jesus Christ. Our lives........ "drawn (shaped) with living-kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3) That is why we can, and need to, give thanks in all circumstances.... even in the difficult ones, because that is when God is most shaping us. And yes, we still pray, but we pray as Jesus prayed - "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42)

"Therefore we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away,

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles

are achieving for us an eternal glory

that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes

not on what is seen,

but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary,

but what is unseen is eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Dear Lord, only you know my heart and my ways, and just what it will take to shape me to the image of your Son. Help me to remember that you are the potter, and I am the clay. Help me to trust in you, and make me willing to be shaped by you, for your purposes. Help me to give thanks, even when the shaping is painful. Thank you for shaping me with such loving-kindness. May your will be done, amen.

daily

It seems that God made a point of deliberately teaching the Israelites to have to daily trust in him. They were daily provided their food, manna. They were led daily - with the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

"These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come." 1 Corinthians 10:11

God wants us to learn these same lessons. We pray "give us today our daily bread." So then maybe we need to learn to be satisfied when that is what God provides - just enough so that we have to keep trusting in him.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:34 (the Message)

Dear Lord, you have already set out my paths in front of me. And like with the Israelites, you go before me, daily leading and providing. Forgive me for not trusting you more. Thank you for providing anyway. Help me to learn these lessons in daily trusting in you, daily following, daily obedience, daily feeding on your Word, daily talking this all out with you in prayer. In Jesus name, amen.

"Great faith isn't the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It's simply taking God at His word and taking the next step." - Joni Eareckson Tada

in all things at all times

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you,

so that in all things at all times,

having all that you need,

you will abound in every good work."

2 Corinthians 9:8

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And God is able

(not me)

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to make all grace abound to you

(grace: not deserved, or earned, or even worried into being)

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so that in all things at all times

(yes, even in my particular circumstances)

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having all that you need

(maybe not what I think I need, and not the whims of my wants)

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you will abound in every good work

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Lord,

help me to keep my focus off of my self,

my limitations, my worries.

Instead,

in all things

at all times

may your will be done in me

for your kingdom

and your glory

Amen