By: Kathleen Tetzlaff
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Scripture Isaiah 9:6 (NRSV, emphasis added)
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Devotional Thoughts When I think of hope, I think of knowing that morning with its light will come, even though the darkness is great in the dead of night. The second verse of Isaiah 9 reads:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined.”
Jesus Christ began His ministry in a part of Israel which was considered “less than” by the Judeans Jews. Because of their stiff resistance to the Romans they faced greater oppression from the Romans. It was truly a dark time and they longed for the promised Messiah.
I remember as a child being in a cave where they turned out the lights so we could experience darkness so complete that we could not see our hand held up in front of our eyes. In this kind of darkness our pupils dilate to the maximum, as if to seek for and anticipate the smallest bit of light. How wide open are our eyes to what God is doing for us?
What jumped out to me from Isaiah 9:6 was the “for us.” A child has been born for us. A son given to us. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus entered my world. He came to rescue me. It is personal.
Early in our marriage I was struggling to make nice looking Bible lessons for the children at church on my manual typewriter. A ring at the door. A UPS package. What could it be? I wasn’t aware we had ordered anything. The outside of the package indicated it was an electric typewriter, one with some memory so it could retype the lesson multiple times. I started to cry. We were financially tight, and I knew this was for me and I was overwhelmed. I have revealed how old I am that an electric typewriter was such an amazing thing, but it was!
God has given us His best, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). He also gives us little reminders each day of His personal love and concern for us. Are our eyes open, our pupils dilated to see and appreciate both the big and the small reminders of His love?
Question to Consider In the last few days how have you been reminded of God’s love for you personally?
Prayer Lord, thank for thinking of us, for offering yourself for us, for having us and our personal cares and concerns in Your mind’s eye and help us have the eyes of our spirit open to see all You do for us each day. And may our spirit respond in love; “we love Him because He first loves us.” (1 John 4:19)
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