Most of us have lived long enough to know- there’s love and then there’s love. And then, there is Love. We love food and Christmas. But we also love our parents and spouses and friends and kids. We would all have to admit that most of our emotional energy and attention stay tied up in these loves- at least until something happens that rocks our world. All the joy and security, we think in times of disappointment or despair, is just an illusion.
So then there is Love- the definition of love as embodied in God, who was a baby before he was a man. And right now, as the Christian world celebrates Christmas, we remember that in that manger a whole new dimension of love was born. Jesus, a fully divine human who completely redefined love. Finally, God’s plan is revealed, but we still struggle to understand.
But this we know; the love that is embodied in Jesus, Emmanuel, is not an illusion. Through decades, centuries and millennia it has remained faithful, steadfast, and astonishing. It is personal and communal, forgiving and empowering, present and eternal. Through death of spouse, child or friend. Through divorce and betrayal. Through the lonely years. Through the overwhelmed and endlessly busy years.
So, as Toby Mac says, let’s celebrate the birth of love. Even if the loves of our present life have led to heartbreak, exhaustion, or emptiness, let’s celebrate today the love that changed everything for each of us.
If everything is perfect in your world, this is not the post for you. If the joy of Christmas is overflowing in your heart, we truly rejoice for you- it is a beautiful gift and we pray you can immerse yourself in this season.
For everyone else, this week’s theme can be hard. Really hard. I weep as I consider those of who are experiencing this holiday after a loss. And young moms, I remember the exhaustion and guilt that seem the inevitable companions to the end of year. Jobs lost, lives changed in unpredictable ways, disappointments. Loneliness. Talking about joy seems obscene.
One of our Advent readings provides a helpful perspective for handling this. “Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.” James 5:7-8
We may not be experiencing joy right now. We may not even be able to imagine a day when joy will be possible. But we can wait patiently, knowing that Jesus is coming back and he will make everything right. Joy is not in season, but we know- just as surely as a farmer knows that the harvest will come- that God is growing its roots. We tend our crops by staying rooted in the word, in the community of faith, in prayer.
In the meantime, where does our strength come from? In Nehemiah, the people of God are told that “the joy of God is your strength.” Notice- they are not told to find their joy in the Lord (though that is a reasonable command). They are told to find strength in the Lord’s joy.
So in this moment in time, there may be no feeling of joy- maybe even no memory of joy for you. Or maybe you see joy over the hill, but your fatigue or despair keeps you from getting to it anytime soon. Can you gain strength from the joy of God, who adores us and is working constantly to draw us to him? Our Father, who will be present with us in suffering and hold our tears in his hand? Our Adonai, who will strengthen us for the journey ahead? Today, this is my prayer.
Have you ever thought about how very common the name “Jesus” was when Joseph was told to name Mary’s son? It would have been like using the name “Joshua.” The angel comes and tells Joseph- “Don’t worry. Your fiancé will have a son conceived of the Holy Spirit who will save his people, and you should name him ’Josh.’” Seems a little ordinary, doesn’t it?
But it’s not exactly like that, because the name has a meaning that has been full of promise for centuries. Remember, there were Joshuas born into captivity, even slavery. There was a brave and godly Joshua who led the people into the Promised Land. And there were hundreds, probably thousands of Joshuas who lived and died in obscurity. But every Joshua carried the reminder of the name’s meaning, “God saves,” into the world around.
There is one more detail about this name that grabbed my attention when I read it. The original version of the name “Jesus” was “Yeshua” or “Yehoshua, “ which actually means “YHWH saves.” Not any of the other commonly used names for God, but the most unique and holy name, Yahweh.
So we have this juxtaposition of an ordinary, commonly given name and an ancient promise. Jesus, Yahweh saves. Ordinary, yes. But at the same time, not ordinary at all.
I have been deeply blessed by these last few weeks of intentionally considering a few of the names of God. I hope you have had a chance to spend a few minutes each week focusing fully on Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai, Father, Messiah- not starting with what he has done in us or for us (though those are holy moments as well) but starting with his nature- his eternal presence, power, love, beauty.
Let’s continue that practice in the next couple of weeks as we consider the human presence of God in Jesus. Maybe you, like me, find this to be one of the most difficult mysteries of all- Jesus as a fully human God and a fully divine human.
Let’s allow this mystery to overwhelm us, and let’s allow our hearts to grow into deeper love and wonder for this man who lived and still lives, who moved among humans and still moves, who interceded for us and intercedes still. Who calls us friend and family.
Who fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, and is shining a light into a world of darkness.
Because if this God of love and presence and power delights in me, I don’t want to waste a moment of my life not delighting in him. One day, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and I don’t want that to be a new posture for me.
There are some intensely stubborn people living in my house- the kind that get grumpy when thwarted, and the kind that stick to a plan even when it is clear the plan is terrible. It gets really tiring.
Honestly, though, I just described myself. I had an “ouch” moment when reading Tim Keller’s Hidden Christmas. He pointed out that in every heart there is a “little King Herod” who “wants to rule and is threatened by anything that may compromise its omnipotence and sovereignty.”
And that, my friends, is why peace is so elusive. We don’t want to give up the throne of our hearts to anyone, even God.
There is so much to say- about how, when we allow God to have the throne we become what we were created to be, and how our lives become more meaningful and fulfilling. About the peace of God bringing unity among all people and all creatures. But let’s leave all those truths for another day and take a moment to kick out our “little King Herods” and put God where he belongs- on the throne of our hearts.
My kids have had their hearts broken and it is terrible. Deeply, painfully terrible. Of course that’s true for them, but those of you who love someone whose heart has been broken- you know it’s a different kind of terrible for you. A thousand times we would choose that our own hearts break rather than see our child go through it.
But when we have waded through the anger and tears, as loved ones and parents we can often see the blessing. That friend was not a positive influence, that part in the play was too much for her right now, that girl was not right for him or he just wasn’t ready to date. We see, but we still hurt for them. We give a little extra grace, cook the favorite dinner, hug a little tighter . We hope for them- not that what they wanted will be, but that what is will be good, maybe even better.
That’s the kind of hope I need this holiday season.
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new glorious morn”
A new and glorious morn has broken, and the light is shining, but there are still some places where the light feels “yonder.” And honestly, it is. There is still evil, pain, and suffering in this world.
But. Yonder.
We can see the light with our souls when our eyes are blind. That is what it means to hope.
Someday, all will be made right.
We have learned through the stories of the bible and the stories of our lives that some things are made right in the current reality- Joseph’s slavery was redeemed. Ruth’s love was returned. Abraham’s sacrifice was honored. But these stories show us that the healing may take decades, and it may look nothing like our imagination. The darkness is still present in the pain.
When we hope, we are choosing to walk in the light. We look at how God has moved in the world, and we take confidence in his continued-though-unseen movement. Through the stories of scripture and our own or our loved ones’ heartbreak, we know that what we hoped for may never be, but what will be can still be good- maybe even better. And in the meantime, God our Father is present with us, giving us what we need to make it through- all the way to wherever “yonder” may be.
As Isaiah invited in his day we are invited still- “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Do you enjoy God? We’ve talked a lot about God enjoying us, but do we enjoy him?
The idea of the Thanksgiving holiday has always been a favorite. In theory, we have a whole day to just reflect on all God has done for us; even if it doesn’t actually work out that way, it’s a lovely thought. Today, let’s take a slight turn and think about God himself. Thinking back over the names of God we have read so far, we have a full list already- and we have barely scratched the surface of who our God is!
YAHWEH, the God of the ages, who sees and hears Elohim, the God of gods, the Might One Adonai, our present provider Refuge and Fortress Father, giver of attention and love.
Instead of looking at another name today, I just want to consider God himself. The Westminster shorter catechism asks “What is the chief end of man, ” and answers, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” Today, let’s enjoy God together.
Here are some of the attributes of God that touch me the most. What would you add? I’d love to hear.
God is .... beautiful kind just patient funny loving committed creative present
I can tell you about the birthmarks of each one of my four children. I know their eye color, tones of voice when upset, and what is likely to make them upset. I love to watch them, to be with them, and to hear about anything they are involved in. But you know what don’t know? I don’t know how many hairs are on their heads. Do you know the number of hairs on your kids’ heads? I’m guessing you don’t; we just don’t pay that much attention.
But Jesus says that God knows. Isn’t that crazy? God has spent so much attention on me and on you that he could tell you the number of hairs on your head- which changes every day, by the way. That tells me he knows me and loves me to a depth that I have never experienced, either as the lover or the loved.
Today, my friends, is another invitation to rest in God. Calling God “Father” isn’t new or revelatory, so today’s invitation is not either. But it can be a deeply necessary balm to our souls any time of year; in this season when everything feels just a little (or maybe a lot) more intense, do you think you can take a minute to contemplate what God means when he calls himself your “Father?”
My four children share some combination of two sets of DNA. But no one reading this is surprised to hear me say they are all very, very different from one another. Even if they share a particular trait that they inherited from me, it looks different on each of them. And I love that, so I parent them differently and they respond to me differently.
When you read the scriptures below, open your heart and mind to how you need God to be your Father. How is he trying to comfort, love, guide, strengthen you? God, in his love for us, has made himself shockingly vulnerable to us (especially look for this in Jeremiah 3. Let’s allow his vulnerability to become our strength.
I am including just a small selection of times God has called himself Father in the scriptures below. What you need from God today is likely to be different from what I need, but in his unchanging love he is Father to each of us.
Deuteronomy 32:1-6 Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say! Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! But they have acted corruptly toward him; when they act so perversely, are they really his children? They are a deceitful and twisted generation. 6Is this the way you repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people? Isn’t he your Father who created you? Has he not made you and established you?
Psalm 68:4-6 Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord— rejoice in his presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
Jeremiah 3:19-22 “I thought to myself, ‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’ I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land— the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me. But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the Lord, have spoken.” Voices are heard high on the windswept mountains, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s people. For they have chosen crooked paths and have forgotten the Lord their God. “My wayward children,” says the Lord, “come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.” “Yes, we’re coming,” the people reply, “for you are the Lord our God.
Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Galatians 4:1-7 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Psalm 103:13 The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
Well friends, we’re in it now. When we started talking about the holiday stress and hecticity (made-up word ? maybe) it seemed too early. But we turned our back for a minute and now we are staring down the barrel at Thanksgiving. And maybe you, like me, have a huge project or two layered on top of all the usual crazy.
I don’t know about you, but I need that light God promised (“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light, Is 9:2). I can feel my shoulders tensing, my attitude slipping, the pressure mounting. Perfect timing for this name of God- my Refuge and Fortress.
This one is actually used in a wide variety of ways, but three of them really stand out to me. The first is a lot to think about but not the one I need the most right now. It’s the idea of a fortress- the huge, well-defended structure we can run to when threatened. I imagine a family on the frontier whose home has been attacked. They were able to get away, but they have been running for days to reach the fort that will shelter them. They get a meal, a bath, their wounds are tended. It’s a beautiful picture of God, but this is not a season of retreating behind strong walls.
The second is the cave that sheltered David while he was on the run from Saul. While in the wilderness, still in flight from the king he served faithfully, David finds a cave that provides a refuge, even if just for the night. Isn’t this more like the season we are in? We have to live this season- we GET to live this season, but every day we need the shelter of God’s presence. Right in the middle of our crazy, we need to stop, take a deep breath, remember God is with us.
The third use of the term “Refuge and Fortress” carries the idea of a shield and- new word- buckler. A shield was usually big, carried with one arm and held in front to protect the body. A buckler is smaller, and would be worn like a bullet-proof vest, buckled around the vital organs. It provided protection while still engaged in battle. Does that sound like something you need? It does to me.
This last idea- of God going with me into the crazy of my day- this is one I think I have missed too much. If my day feels crazy that does not always mean I am doing it wrong or that God is not with me. It might just mean it’s a busy time. If my life feels lonely or isolated it doesn’t mean I am alone. It might just be my current circumstances.
It is an emotional time of year. Depression, loneliness, stress, anxiety, worry….all are heightened at this time of year. Wherever you and I find ourselves on the emotional spectrum, God, our refuge and fortress, is here with us. We can – and should- be refreshed and comforted by spending a few minutes (or seconds if that’s all you have) quietly resting in his presence, reading the scriptures below that bring the truth of his presence to the forefront of our minds. But when we leave our quiet moment, we do not leave God behind and he does not leave us alone. Let’s rejoice in this light together!
Deuteronomy 33:26-29 There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’ So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and new wine, while the heavens drop down dew. How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the LORD ? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword!
2 Samuel 22:1-4 David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 I love you, LORD ; you are my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
Psalm 71:1-8 O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me and rescue me, for you do what is right. Turn your ear to listen to me, and set me free. Be my rock of safety where I can always hide. Give the order to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of cruel oppressors. O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O LORD, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long.
Isaiah 25:1-5 O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you. But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O LORD, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall, or like the relentless heat of the desert. But you silence the roar of foreign nations. As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat, so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to him and are safe.
Nothing feels more real than the Tuesday morning after a three day weekend, don’t you agree? The alarm feels more painful, the misplaced-yet-urgently-needed thingamabobs are more distressing, the moods are grumpier. Ugh. Welcome back to the real world.
Lately I’ve been questioning what we mean by “real world” though. Everything we see and feel and experience is just so immediate and urgent, but is all this really real?
Think about those moments of sudden clarity that we all have had. The teacher announces a pop test. Your child calls to say “I’ve made a mistake.” The cop turns his sirens on behind you. The biopsy is positive. All of a sudden you realize what is real- at least in this little corner of your world. Why can’t we live there all the time? Why does it take a cop’s siren to get me realize I was speeding, or a positive biopsy to appreciate my health?
As we have spent the last few weeks focusing on who God is, I feel his nearness in a new, more real way, and the concept of “real world” continues to shift. It doesn’t have to take bad news for us to realize the truth. There is a dimension- unseen but among us- in which God dwells. I think about the way I felt as a child when I was home in my room but Mom was cooking dinner just on the other side of the door. Nearby, though out of sight .
So this morning as we rush around dealing with all the little emergencies of the day, there is something else very real happening at the same time. Isaiah had a vision of what it’s like.
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robefilled the temple. Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:1-5)
Whatever I am dealing with, whatever I am feeling at any particular moment. In that moment, there are also creatures declaring the goodness of God. In that moment, the earth is still full of his glory. In that moment, I am his and he is mine. I can just turn, and he is there. And that is real.
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
That’s just not true, unless you are the rare individual who recognizes and responds to every moment in an ultra insightful way. For most of us, our weeks are full of family dinners, carpooling, diapers, appointments for work, and conversations with friends that are slowly building something holy and beautiful though they seem mundane at the time.
Much like the mundane yet practical, daily interactions with friends and family build strong relationships, the practical, daily presence of God in our lives builds a strong faith. But do we see it?
This week, I would like you to contemplate with me a name of God that is actually a title. In the time the name “Adonai” was written into the text of scripture, humans would have also been given this title- much like Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey.
Used for the one true God, the Hebrews would have been speaking of Adonai as one who is owner, ruler, provider. One with power and responsibility. A practical, daily presence.
When you look back on the moments of your week, do you see God in any of them? The moments when we don’t see God- those moments our eyes are closed or our faith is silent, but they are not moments when God is absent. Our God is a practical, daily presence. Our provider in mundane moments, as well as the moments that take our breath away.
This week, we rejoice in Adonai, our present provider.
Psalm 8 O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority— the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Psalm 109:21 But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
Isaiah 6:1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
Isaiah 25:6-9 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Deuteronomy 10:17-21 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.
1 Corinthians 8:5-6 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth–as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”– yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
prayersformychildren.org 