Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 3

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,The Spirit of counsel and might,The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord,And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;And a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:1-6)

One could write long and deep about the prophecy contained in these six verses. Like many OT scriptures that proclaim the Messiah, Isaiah 11:1-6 is fulfilled in three parts. There was an immediate fulfillment, a representation, in the government of Hezekiah. There was a future fulfillment in the 1st coming of Christ. Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord dwelt within Him without measure. He judged the poor fairly and defended the rights of the helpless.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has chosen Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save His people." Luke 4:18-19

The rest of the verse speaks of a future fulfillment, which will take place when our Lord returns. The 2nd coming of Jesus.

And a child will lead them. The beasts of the field and the domestic animals will lie together and be cared for by a child. What a beautiful picture of peace we have here, my friend. Does not your heart long for it?  Mine does.

But did you read what comes first? Before the peace between animals and the tender care of the child?

At His command the people will be punished, and evil persons will die.
He will rule His people with justice and integrity.

We like to skip over this part, don’t we? But the truth is my friend, many of us are not ready to lie down with our enemies. We say we want peace, but how far out of our comfort zone are we willing to go to make it happen? I’m ashamed to say it, but I don’t go very far.

We live in a world where darkness covers the hearts of men. Some say the world has always been like this, that we’ve always had wars and rumors of wars. And perhaps that is so, but I sense a quickening. Do you sense it, too? The evil seems . . . bolder, somehow. Less in the shadows. As if it’s time is short. I look around at what is happening in the world, and I look at myself, my own sin, and I’m amazed that He continues to save. He continues to pour out His grace and mercy on our lives.

But that is the Hope of Christmas.

That He would come as a tender branch. A harmless, defenseless babe.

That He would come to dwell among us.

And save us.

Blessings,

Inspired by . . . a walk to the mailbox

 

It’s a cool morning. Or, should I say, cooler. Seventy-four is cool to me, but not most. It’s humid. My phone widget says 90%.

Damp. Steamy.

 

 

The earth feels heavy. The clouds are hugging her close.

I know my pant legs will get wet, but I don’t care as I head off across the fields to the mailbox. Not bills in my hand, but the ramblings of an 84 year old. I hope the recipients can read his writing. It’s worth the effort.

I side-step the evidence of deer gatherings and keep alert for hidden fawns under the low slung trees. The birds are chattering away, introducing each other to the day.

 

 

I’m talking to God. Saying good morning, and thanking Him for the abundance of blessings.

My mind conjures up a tune, “The birds are singing and all is right with the worl –“

Except it’s not. The needle skips across the vinyl and comes to a screeching halt.

I look up at the sky. A slice of blue reminds me that there are others looking up too.

 

 

But they’re not hearing bird song in background of their world.

And my heart breaks. Again. For the millionth time over the suffering in the world.

Marana tha!

Come, Lord Jesus!

And yet, I know why He tarries.

But do not forget one thing, my dear friends!

There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to Him the two are the same.
The Lord is not slow to do what He has promised, as some think.

Instead, he is patient with you, because He does not want anyone to be destroyed,

but wants all to turn away from their sins.  2 Peter 3:8-9

I’m grateful.

Grateful, yet longing.

I raise the red flag and turn back.

 

My heart still heavy with prayers, I gaze back over the fields.

There is suffering here too, Lord.

 

 

A scissor-tail flies overhead, directing my gaze upward.

The clouds are loosening their grip. Pinks and yellows are staining the edges of the clouds.

 

 

I’m filled with the assurance that His ways are good. And just. And right.

That all truly is – will be – right with the world.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer;

I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

 

 

Because of Him.

 

Shalom,

 

First sky image textured with kk_simple2

Mailbox image textured with kk_flow

Crepe Myrtle poster edges filter

 

Sharing inspiration here: