Great Plains Daily Devotional for 12/14/2018

Isaiah 12 

In that day you will sing:
    “I will praise you, O Lord!
You were angry with me, but not any more.
    Now you comfort me.
See, God has come to save me.
    I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
    he has given me victory.”

With joy you will drink deeply
    from the fountain of salvation!
In that wonderful day you will sing:
    “Thank the Lord! Praise his name!
Tell the nations what he has done.
    Let them know how mighty he is!
Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
    Make known his praise around the world.
Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy!
    For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

After describing the Messiah in earlier portions of Isaiah, God speaks through the prophet with these words:
“In that day the heir to David's throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to Him, and the land where He lives will be a glorious place.” (Isa 11:10)

Now Chapter 12 speaks of Messiah’s purpose:
“See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory.”
We know that with victory over sin comes joy! With victory over our separation from God, we experience peace with God and a reconciled relationship with the LORD and other peoples.

We know that with victory over sin comes joy! With victory over our separation from God, we experience peace with God and a reconciled relationship with the LORD and other peoples.

We can sing with joy when we realize that God has done exactly this through His Son Jesus. We non-Abrahamic people can find salvation in Christ. We who are stuck in our sins can find victory out of them through faith in Christ. We who feel weak and helpless can find strength in Christ. We who feel down or hopeless can find joy and hope in our relationship with the Lord. We who have broken our promises can have a new covenant relationship with God because of the “wonderful things” God has done!

This Christmas season can we focus on what the Christ child of Bethlehem began and what the Lord accomplished and finished for all when He paid the debt we owed for our sin? Can we also join in this wonderful song of praise as we draw closer to the time of Jesus’ return?

Even in the midst of Christmas rush may we sing for joy for what God has accomplished in Christ.  
 

Prayer for Reflection

Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 1:68-79
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 3:1-6