Inspired by . . . A Season in Scripture VI

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. (Isa 7:14-15)

Isaiah 7:14 is probably the best-known prophecy concerning the birth of the Messiah. Yet what feeds my soul this morning are the preceding verses. What the "therefore" is there for.

Here in Isaiah chapter seven, we find King Ahaz and the city of Jerusalem besieged. Scripture tells us, "the king and people shook like forest trees shaking in the wind."

Now before you feel too sorry for King Ahaz the backstory here, given to us in 2 Ch 28:5, is that they were in this situation because of their sin. They had forsaken the Lord their God and God, in His sovereignty, had given them over to their enemies. 

King Ahaz was a wicked man. Yet he was of the house of David and as such, an heir to the Promise.

So here it is in the preceding verses of Isaiah seven that we see not only the foretelling of God's grace and mercy to mankind but we witness His grace and mercy to one, wicked, individual. 

God sends the prophet Isaiah to encourage King Ahaz. He tells him that those who have laid siege to Jerusalem will never rule. He tells the quaking king, "Have firm faith, or you will fail to stand firm."

This is God's mercy on King Ahaz and the kingdom of Judah.

But God doesn't stop there. God also extends grace to the king. 

Remember, King Ahaz had forsaken God. Instead of serving and trusting in the Lord, he worships idols and other gods. He relies on the strength of man to help him rather than the Lord. God knows this. He knows Ahaz has no faith to believe in the prophecy.

So God goes beyond mercy and graciously offers King Ahaz confirmation of the prophecy by a sign of the king's choosing. How does the King respond?

He rudely refuses God's offer! He would rather persist in his unbelief that be beholden to God.

God reveals His plan to save all of mankind to a faithless, rebellious king in the midst of a besieged city.  Seems a bit odd, doesn't it? A bit pathetic maybe? What's the point?

God. God is the point. God's character, the truth of Who He IS.

This is what speaks to my soul this morning.

His immeasurable grace and mercy. His sovereignty over all.

It is revealed in this passage of scripture as He looks down from heaven on His city, Jerusalem. Besieged because of sin.

It is revealed 700 years later as He looks down from heaven on a lowly manger in Bethlehem.

It is revealed today as He looks down from heaven and continues to extend His grace to a world still besieged by sin, content to persist in their unbelief.

It will be revealed one day soon when He comes down from heaven to rule and reign in Glory.

Let us sit quietly, savoring these truths and cherishing Him as we wait.

Shalom,

The entire series:
A Season in Scripture I
A Season in Scripture II
A Season in Scripture III 
A Season in Scripture IV
A Season in Scripture V

Sharing inspiration here:
Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Faith On Fire, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
Counting My Blessings, Grace Moments, Heart Encouragement
#DanceWithJesus

Inspired by . . . A Season in Scripture II

God, endow the king with Your own justice, his royal person with Your righteousness, that he may govern Your people rightly and deal justly with Your oppressed ones. Psalms 72:1-2

Psalm 72, the last recorded prayer of David, was written for his son, Solomon. A dying blessing, a prayer of a king for his successor, a prayer for the subjects to sing to their new king.

May he fear You as long as the sun endures, and as the moon throughout the ages. v. 5

As you read through and ponder these verses one thing becomes clear - no earthly king could succeed at all these things.  Solomon, certainly, the wisest of all, with a wisdom given to him by God, was more likely to succeed than any other. Yet, we know the end of his story.

For he will rescue the needy who appeal for help, the distressed who have no protector. He will have pity on the poor and needy, and deliver the needy from death; he will redeem them from oppression and violence and their blood will be precious in his eyes. v. 12-14

Reading these verses in light of our New Testament reveals the precious promises of the coming Messiah. We see the prophecy of prosperity and timelessness of the kingdom of Christ.

The darkness of these days can not blot out the coming Light:

• There shall be a righteous government. v. 2 All the laws of Christ's kingdom are consistent with the laws of equity. No one will be exempt from the last judgment. The world will be judged in righteousness. (Acts 17:31)
• There shall be a peaceful government. v. 3 While Solomon's reign was peaceful, true peace is the glory of God's kingdom because it reconciles man to God and men to one another. For He is our PEACE.
• There shall be a protective government. v. 3; 12-14 The poor and needy shall be, in a particular way, protected. Because they have no helper and because they cry unto Him, He has promised to answer their prayers and to help them. Christ is the poor man's King.
• All wrongs will be made right. v. 4 Proud oppressors shall be reckoned with. Christ will take away their power to hurt and punish them for all they have done. He shall save us from the power of Satan. Both the old serpent who seeks to deceive and the roaring lion who seeks to terrify and destroy us.
• Religion shall flourish. v. 5 Faith in Christ brings about the fear of God. So as Christ's government promotes devotion to God, so it promotes both justice and charity among men. v. 7 Righteousness will endure.
• Christ's government shall cover the whole earth. v. 8 He will have dominion from sea to sea. He shall reign over all. From those who dwell in the wilderness, to those in cottages to those who dwell in the finest palaces. 
• The Lord Jesus shall reign forever! v. 5, 7 It is Christ and Christ alone Who will be feared throughout all generations and Who will endure as the moon forevermore. His name shall endure FOREVER!

Men shall be blessed. v. 17 Truly and forever blessed in HIM.

As we wait in the darkness of this day may we hold fast to the promise of Gen 12:3; that in HIM all the nations of the earth will be blessed! It is a promise soon to be fulfilled!

Shalom,

The entire series:
A Season in Scripture I


Sharing inspiration here:
Testimony Tuesday, #TellHisStory,
Faith On Fire, Grace & Truth,
Inspire Me Monday, RaRa Link Up, Intentional Tuesday,
#WordswithWinter, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thoughtful Thursdays,
Encourage Me Monday, Wholehearted Wednesday,
Women with Intention Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,
#GiveMeGrace, Sitting Among Friends, #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
Counting My Blessings, Grace Moments, Heart Encouragement
#DanceWithJesus

Inspired by . . . The Triumphant Entry: A Palm Sunday Reflection

 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zec 9:9

 

 

Reading Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem always leaves me with mixed emotions.  I wonder if Jesus felt the same. Not to say that I can identify with Him, but because He can identify me.

He knows what is in the hearts of men. He knows my heart.

 

But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them,

because He knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man,

for He Himself knew what was in man. Joh 2:24-25

 

I rejoice over the picture of Jesus riding on a young colt. To see Him coming in humble majesty fills my heart with JOY.  I can picture His mother watching. Thinking of another time, years before, when she bore Him on the back of a donkey.

Despite the shouts of the crowd, Jesus still comes quietly.

This is no picture of a conquering king. 

And yet that is what the people wanted. That is what God's people have always wanted. {1Sa_8:5-6} I wonder if that's why their hearts turned so quickly against Him. They wanted a king to rule them, to save them from the Romans.

But Jesus came to save them from themselves.

 

kk_tuesday

 

He comes the same way today.

It pains me to know that the same crowd that shouted, "Hosanna!" on this day, shouted, "Crucify him!" just a few days later. It pains me because I love Him.  and because I know if I'm not careful, I can do the same.

For us, Palm Sunday is all sunshine and shouts of praise. But as our Savior rode into the city, He saw the shadow of a scourged and beaten man carrying a cross pass by. A man Whose heart was heavy with the sting of rejection, and Whose ears heard cries of hatred.

This account, found in all four gospels, reminds me to be careful. It reminds me to question the motives of my fickle, human, heart.

Am I looking for a King when I really need a Savior?  Do I reject the blessing when it doesn't look the way I thought it would?

 

 

These are good questions to ponder. Questions that shed Light in dark places.

Because just as Jesus died and rose again, there are things in our lives that have to die before we can take up our cross and be made more like Him.  Luk_9:23

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Heb_12:4

 

As we travel the road to the cross this week,

may our steps take us deeper into the

heart of our Savior.

 

Shalom,

June

 

Sharing inspiration here:

#TellHisStory

    

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 17

 

 

 

Sing unto the LORD; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
(Isa 12:5-6 KJV)

 

Happy Christmas Eve, beloved!

Won’t you join me in praising God with the words of Isaiah – for He has done excellent things that are known all over our world.

Oh, you may not see these things reported on the evening news or in the papers, but if you seek out the good in this world, you will find it.

God is still performing miracles.

He is.

​There are miracles all around,
​miracles yet to be found.
​Hid in every heart is an awesome prayer.
​Like a candle's flame, hope will lead us there.

 

If you haven’t seen The Christmas Candle movie, taken from a book written by Max Lucado, or heard Susan Boyle sing – I highly recommend both.  The woman has the voice of an angel, and the movie will leave you believing in miracles, even if you didn’t before.

And I daresay you should. Believe in miracles. Because the Holy One of Israel is in our midst.

 

Jesus Christ.

Emmanuel

God with us.

 

 

 

Blessings on your Christmas,

You can read all of this year’s advent posts here.

FYI – the links in this post are not affiliate links. They are just there for your information. Enjoy.

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 16

 

 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:

and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
(Luk 2:8-14 KJV)

 

Can you imagine the scene on the hills of Bethlehem this night? The host of heaven praising God in the company of a group of trembling shepherds.

Yet their fear and astonishment did not stop them from seeking the One the angels proclaimed!

 

And it came to pass,

as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,

the shepherds said one to another,

Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,

and see this thing which is come to pass,

which the Lord hath made known unto us.
(Luk 2:15 KJV)

 

God speaks to us in the language we best understand. To the wise men, who were Gentiles, He sent a star. To the shepherds, who were Jews, He sent angels. To the chief priests and elders, who were not prepared to receive any message from God, He spoke not a word to announce the birth of the Savior.

 

 

What is God speaking to your heart

this Christmas?

Will you seek Him?

 

Blessings,

 

 

Sharing inspiration here:

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 15

 

 

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,

(and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)

full of grace and truth. John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying,

This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me:

for He was before me. And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son,

which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.
(Joh 1:14-18 KJV)

 

I’m sure you’ve heard the term, “Actions speak louder than words.” No one lived this truth more powerfully than Jesus Christ.

Not only did He prove it throughout His ministry, and so profoundly by His death, but He proved it first at His birth.

He is the Word made flesh. The Incarnation; the act of clothing with flesh.

The Divine, descended from glory to dwell among us; the corrupt, the rebellious, worms of the earth. Sinners. And He was full of grace and truth.

Our two greatest needs.

He received grace and truth from the Father, that He might give . . .

 

 

 

. . . to us at the hour of our

greatest need.

Have you received

His gift?

 

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:

    

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 14

 

 

For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son,

so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its Savior.
(Joh 3:16-17 GNB)

 

 

 

Blessings,

 

Sharing inspiration here:

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 13

 

 

At that time Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.

When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria.

Everyone, then, went to register himself, each to his own hometown.

Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David.

Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David.

He went to register with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him.

She was pregnant, and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.

She gave birth to her first son, wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger---

there was no room for them to stay in the inn.
(Luk 2:1-7)

 

 

Most of us don’t like to file and pay our taxes. But we’d like it even less if we had to travel by foot or donkey to the towns where our families originated to register to do so. In the minds of Joseph and Mary, they were going to Bethlehem because Joseph was a descendant of David. David, the Shepherd King, was born in Bethlehem.

We have the unique perspective here, unlike with our own lives, to step back and watch the bigger picture unfold.

God had to get Mary to Bethlehem, because that is where Jesus, our Shepherd and our King, was to be born. God had already foretold the place of His birth. (See Micah 5:2, Matt 2:5-6, John 7:42).

Not only is Bethlehem, the name signifying the House of Bread, the proper place for the Bread of Life, the bread that came down from heaven, to be born, but it is the city of David, where he was born, and therefore there He must be born who was the Son of David.

And here, in these first verses of the second chapter of Luke, we see how God accomplished it.

One commentator put it this way:

 

That which Augustus designed was either to gratify his pride in knowing the numbers of his people,

and proclaiming it to the world, or he did it in policy,

to strengthen his interest, and make his government appear the more formidable;

but Providence had another reach in it.

All the world shall be at the trouble of being enrolled, only that Joseph and Mary may.

 

Are there things happening in your life that  you don’t understand? Has God called you to something, or made you a promise and you just can’t see how it will ever come to fruition? God is working, beloved, He is ordering things, working them out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Ro 8:28)

Do not misunderstand me. We are not chess pieces on a board, or puppets on a string. God did not cause the pride of Caesar Augustus. But He foresaw it, and used it to accomplish His will.

He will accomplish the

work He has begun in you.

 

Rest in that promise, beloved.

 

Blessings,

 

 

Sharing inspiration here:

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 12

 

This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place.

His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married,

she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit.

Joseph was a man who always did what was right,

but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly;

so he made plans to break the engagement privately.

While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

"Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife.

For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.

She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus---because He will save his people from their sins."

Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet,

"A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel"

(which means, "God is with us"). So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary,

as the angel of the Lord had told him to.

But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her son.

And Joseph named him Jesus.
(Mat 1:18-25)

 

Do you know someone who has trouble with personal boundaries? Maybe they stand just a little too close to you when you’re talking together. Or share just a little too much information about themselves. How about people, casual acquaintances, who ask probing questions? Here’s a news flash for you- you don’t have to answer. Learning to say, “It’s really none of your business.” with grace is still something I’m working on. Personally, I believe our society is much too immodest when it comes to our personal information, and I’m not talking about the NSA. There is some good to be said about technology that allows us to see and hear everything about everybody {have you made sure your HDTV camera is shut off?} but I think we have lost something, too. Instant gratification takes away the mystery, the wonder, and the expectation. When every longing is instantly satisfied, what do you have left?

 

The mystery of Christ's incarnation is to be adored, not pried into.

 

God sent an angel to Joseph so that he would believe Mary and take her as his wife. Chances are, God is not going to send an angel to you to make you believe. Frankly, you wouldn’t want Him to - - but He has spoken to your heart.

Rather than try to explain it away or understand it, let’s take some time today to just sit in wonder of what God has done. Put yourself there in the manger. Breathe deeply of the scent of hay, horse and cow. Just the good smells. Let your eyes be drawn to the babe. See his little arms and legs, how they kick and wiggle. He’s laughing because one of the sheep just nuzzled his head. Let yourself fall into the JOY of his radiant face, the JOY of a newborn baby.

 

This child knows you,

intimately.

Adore Him.

This child will die for you,

personally.

Praise Him.

 

Blessings,

 

Sharing inspiration here:

#TellHisStory

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 10

 

 

There has never been such a greeting before, or since.

These two babies, yet in the womb.

The forerunner and the King.

Won’t you sit in stillness and ponder the Glory of this greeting with me today?

 

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary,

the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears,

the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

And blessed is she that believed:

for there shall be a performance of those things

which were told her from the Lord.
(Luk 1:39-45 KJV)

 

 

Blessings,

Sharing inspiration here:

#GiveMeGrace

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 9

 

 

The account in Luke of the coming of the Messiah never ceases to fill me with wonder. I don’t think I will ever tire of reading the words - - of feeling the HOPE bloom anew in my heart each time I read these words of promise.

I confess, I do not always read scripture this way, with HOPE and EXPECTATION. Often I will come to a passage and think, “Oh, I know this one.” and skim over it, not really taking the words into my mind, into my heart.

I need to remember that scripture is not just words on a page. It is God’s Word, log'-os, the Divine Expression, that is, Christ. {John 1:1} I need to remember, when I approach scripture, that it is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. {Heb 4:12} It has the power to change my life. {2Tim 3:15} It speaks to me anew, no matter how well I think I may “know” what it says. God can speak a new word to me, right there, in that moment, through His inspired Word written thousands of years ago. And so often I read it too casually, almost without thought. Forgive me, Lord!

If you’re doing any Advent studies or devotionals, you’ve likely already read this passage at least once, maybe more this season. Won’t you read it with me one more time? Let’s try to savor each word.

 

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured,

the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying,

and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:

and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,

and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:

therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age:

and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord;

be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
(Luk 1:26-38 KJV)

 

Despite her initial fear, Mary would have known great JOY in this meeting. The Jews had been waiting a very long time for the promised Messiah. Mary knew what this meant for her people. Much like Esther, she risked her reputation and her life by saying yes to God’s plan of salvation.

 

 

God has a word for you today, beloved.

It may be a word of comfort, or a

promise to come.

Listen.

 

Blessings,

 

Sharing inspiration here:

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 8

 

 

A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things:

his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The LORD hath made known his salvation:

his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel:

all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth:

make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth:

with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. (Psa 98:1-9 KJV)

 

 

I have a confession to make.

2014 has been a hard year.

Emotionally taxing and exhausting, we’ve dealt with some tough things this year, that will continue to play out and impact the rest of our lives.

I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to the new year more than I am this year.  And yet when my friend Lisa first mentioned her one word for 2015 (she hasn’t revealed it yet!), I thought, “Already? We’re doing that again?” I was determined not to even think about it until after Christmas - - if you’ve been around here much you know I like to savor the seasons.

But God . . . .

I’m talking about new today because that is what God has laid on my heart. This is the HOPE He has given me for 2015.

 

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
(Isa 43:19 KJV)

 

Although God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, He is all about NEW! He may remain the same, but He changes us and our circumstances. Can I get an Amen and Hallelujah! I, for one, am so thankful that He doesn’t leave me in my pitiful, wretched state. Not only has He redeemed me from my state of sin, but He carries me through the wilderness and makes rivers in the desert. The locusts have descended. 2014 is lost, but the Lord has promised to redeem that which has been eaten.

 

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, (Joe 2:25 KJV)

 

Our scripture today is a prophetic Psalm. It points to the coming kingdom of the Messiah. The establishment of it, and the bringing of the Gentiles {unless you are a Jew, then this means you!} into it. Will you sing it with me? this new song unto the Lord. A song of redeeming Love.

A song of praise for the marvelous things He has done – the more we learn and understand about God the more we know this to be true.  Praise Him for the conquests He has won – our Lord has gotten victory over Satan! Praise Him for the discoveries He has made known - the victories He has won, He has revealed to us through His Son. Praise Him for the extent of this discovery - revealed to Gentile and Jew alike. Praise Him for the fulfillment of the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament!

 

 

How about you, is there room in your life

for God to do something new?

Do you welcome Him?

 

Blessings,

 

 

Sharing inspiration here:

 

Inspired by . . . the Hope of His Coming Vol. 7

 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder:

and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,

upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it,

and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:6-7

 

I’m going to share a little secret with you today.

June is my middle name. It’s the name I use to identify myself to you and “brand” my writing. I was born in the month of June and my mother chose that as my middle name. Boor- ring, right? I always used to think so. But as it turns out, June comes from Juno, the Roman goddess who is married to Jupiter, king of the heavens. Which makes Juno the queen of the heavens. At this point in my research I was liking my middle name even less than before. Being identified with a character from Roman mythology, the queen no less, does not thrill me. Then I learned that Juno was the protectress of marriage and women, and was also the goddess of finance. Now those are attributes worthy of aspiring to! I’ve decided that June is not such a bad name for me after all. If you’ve never researched the meaning of your name, you might be surprised what you find!

If you’ve read very much at all in your bible, you’ve probably figured out that names, the meaning of names, are important to God. The angel, Gabriel, instructed both Zacharias and Mary what to name their child, much to the astonishment of Zacharias family!

 

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard;

and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.  Luke 1:13

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child;

and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.  Luke 1:59-63

 

While Jesus knows our name, and even promises us a new name when we are united with Him in eternity, it is His name, the name of the Lord, that holds the power – that holds the promise.

Jesus told His disciples to ask anything in His name and it would be given to them, John 14:13.  Whenever we gather, in His name, He promises to be there with us, Matthew 18:20. There are consequences for denying His name, and protection for those who invoke His name.

 

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. Prov 18:10

 

I just love this picture of a strong tower, a fortress, built brick-by-brick with the names of the Lord!

Today’s passage of Hope from Isaiah proclaims five names of the Lord that have inspired psalm writers for centuries. Just speaking these names aloud fills my heart with JOY!

He is to be called . . .

Wonderful -And justly He is called thus for He is both man and God. “His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints; in His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, He was wonderful.“ {Matthew Henry}

Counsellor – It is by Him that God gives us counsel. He is the wisdom of God, acquainted with Him from all eternity.

Mighty God – He has the wisdom and so He has the strength to save to the utmost. To accomplish all that He wills.

Everlasting Father – {sigh} there is such a beautiful promise in this word: everlasting. The Father of eternity. From everlasting to everlasting. The Father of the world to come, as the Septuagint reads. Such hope.

Prince of Peace – as King He preserves, commands and creates the peace in His kingdom. He is our peace. He is the author and giver of all that is good.

And now I have this song in my head, so I’m sharing it with you.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

 

You can also find it here if the video isn’t working: Michael W Smith – Emmanuel

 

Dear one, I pray this has blessed you today.

And if you’re looking for a safe place to run,

our Father is waiting, with open arms.

 

Blessings,

 

 

Sharing inspiration here: