All ye
inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye,
when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he
bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3
AN ENSIGN ON THE
MOUNTAINS 25 November 2016
WORD COUNT: 42,464
Especially at this time of year, Christians ought to be
shouting from the rooftops that Jesus is alive! Jesus'
return to life after three days dead is THE signature event of
Christianity -- but it couldn't have happened without His
death. In a culture that often seems more concerned with
feeling good and not growing up, the idea that rejoicing has to
be preceded by suffering is uncomfortable. Like the
aphorism, success only comes before work in the dictionary.
And work takes sacrifice.
Like all of us, Jesus didn't want to suffer; indeed, when He
was alone in Gethsemane, "he fell on his face, and prayed,
O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
(Matthew 26:39) Jesus hadn't forgotten He was God's Son
any more than we should forget upon salvation that we become
part of God's family (Romans 8:16-21). But like all of
us, Jesus had moments on Earth that He felt alone, that even
God had abandoned Him.
Psalm 22, the first verse of which is one of Jesus' sayings
on the cross ("My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken
me?"), makes an end run from the depths of despair to the
heights of joy. This psalm of David predicts what
happened to Jesus, that the people mocked Him and the soldiers
cast lots for His clothing. But the story doesn't end
there. What makes Jesus on the cross an event worth
commemorating on this day is that His physical death isn't the
end.
"Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of
Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel."
(23) Even in the midst of torture -- in this case, hanging
on the cross after being scourged with whips and waiting to die
-- it is possible to be God's witness. As Christians, we
should know that our impact on others in this life carries on
after we're gone. Although we won't be resurrected after
the third day like Jesus was, we have the responsibility to
live, to be a seed that "shall be accounted to the LORD
for a generation." (30) One person's life, YOUR
life, can have thunderous impact as Jesus' disciple.
There's no retirement age, the pay isn't much, but the benefits
are out of this world!
Sincerely yours,
David
P.S. I write this
weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you in my
address book, and I hope to be an encouragement too! If you
find that I'm not or you want me to get lost, just let me know
-- thank you!
We praise You, Lord, for this beautiful
day You have given us! Please pray with me for the peace of
Jerusalem on both sides of the fence and for communities around
our world. Lord, we need Your strength to fight the natural
disasters and human ills to ultimately treat the cause and not
just the symptoms; until we who have power change, this world
You have made us stewards of won't either.
Thank You,
Lord, for all those in leadership and service here and abroad.
Thank You for the opportunities we have been given as well as
the promise of new life through Your Son. And may we all seek
and have a blessed week! Amen.
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