Saturday 17 December 2016

December 17

Scripture: Isaiah 66:7-11

“Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance.” (verses 10-11)

Reflection:

The picture of God as a nursing mother is not something we frequently celebrate. This prophetic word, however, tells us something about who we are – infants in desperate need of a caring mother; and who God is – the One who provides with “overflowing abundance.” Those who mourn over the current situation of desolation are called to “rejoice greatly!”

This prophecy is spoken to those who have nothing to celebrate. Family members have died or been killed. They have had to flee for their own lives. These addressees are not even living in their own country! How many people in our world today can identify with this situation? International relief agencies are not able to cope with the amount of need there is. How can we rejoice in a situation like this?

Perhaps we need to recapture the vision of hope that this passage calls us to embrace. Perhaps we need to understand the connection between this prophecy and the Kingdom of God, which is both now and not yet. Perhaps we are called to nurse so that others can drink deeply.

We need to be reminded that the good news of the Kingdom does not mirror the doom and gloom we see around us. We need to proclaim that our God reigns. We need to be reminded of His Promises and His Faithfulness. He promises that we will be nursed and that we will drink deeply and delight in the overflowing abundance He will provide! Is this not cause for rejoicing? Is this not reason to celebrate?

So many people around us desperately need hope. Does our rejoicing not create a desire in them to want to rejoice as well? So many people cannot see how their situation could ever change for the better. Do we truly believe “that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Ro 8:28)? If we believe this about God, our response will be one of trust, thankfulness and rejoicing. Isn’t that something to celebrate? The Apostle Paul puts it very bluntly: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Co 15:19) But thank God, that is not the truth of our situation due to the resurrection of Christ! In other words, we have reason to celebrate even if everything around us seems bleak! Does this reflect our current lives as followers of Christ?

But even this is not our true situation as seen through the eyes of faith. Our God is Missio Dei – the God of mission! He reaches out to everyone in the world. He is stronger than all the powers of darkness. Only He is able to bring life where we see death. And He continues to do so, even when we are not able to recognize it! The Living God is at work in the world, bringing His Kingdom in unexpected ways. He invites us to see where He is at work and join Him in what He is doing. Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (Jn 5:19) If this is true of Christ, how much more is it true for us. We who are children of God, are called to participate in God’s Kingdom on earth.

Application of the Spiritual Disciplines:

The Kingdom of God is one of unlimited resources and abundance, because everything belongs to God. He is the God who tells us, “I am the LORD your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it!” (Ps 81:11) Not only are we invited to drink deeply of His overflowing abundance, we are also called to extend His invitation to others. The invitation to celebrate the Goodness of God is not only for us as followers of Christ, it is for all those who are needy! Let’s not allow the world to dictate what we see. Let us see what the Lord is doing in the world with eyes of faith and invite others to celebrate the reality of the Kingdom of God with us! In what ways can we invite others to celebrate Missio Dei with us today?

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, from whom all good gifts come,
open our eyes to see the reality of Your Kingdom.
Forgive us when we have allowed ourselves
to be blinded by our misery and the misery of others
instead of seeing where You are at work,
creating life out of that which was dead!
Teach us to understand who You are
and celebrate when others around us see no reason to celebrate.
Help us live the reality of Your Kingdom in such a way
that others will be drawn to it.
Fill us with Your Joy
so that celebration will be how we live
in giving glory to You!
We long for Your Coming, Lord! Maranatha!
Thank You that we can celebrate its certainty!
We pray these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, who was, and is and is to come. Amen!

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