Preparing for New Life
Isaiah 2:1-5 (NLT)
This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
These words of Isaiah’s prophecy start with “In the days to come.” In the days to come, things will be different. In the days to come, things will change. In the days to come, we will not be the same. How do we prepare for the days to come, for New Life? What is this New Life? Is it here on earth, or do we speak of what comes after this life on earth?
Isaiah spoke of life here on earth, a future when conflicts would be resolved--not by war--but by God’s arbitration and judgments. At least that is one interpretation of this passage. And that can be a very hope-filled vision.
But what does this passage mean for me in this time of Advent, this time of preparation for the coming birth of a Savior? What does it mean to prepare for new life? Or even, what is this new life I am to prepare for?
I have accepted a call to be the Potomac Highlands District Lay Leader. That is certainly a call to a new life for me. I am now walking a new path, but yet an old path. I have never been in such a position, so it is new to me. But it is a path of God’s calling, and She has prepared this path, and walks it with me.
I prepared for this by prayer and supplication, and with the payers of friends, old and new. I took with me on my journey the words of Isaiah: to look for God’s instruction and to walk by the light of the Lord.
As I write these words it sounds so simple and straight forward. But sometimes the “instruction” is not as clear as I would like and the answers to questions seem hidden in the dark.
As I am vigilant, dedicated in my spiritual disciplines (and how hard that can be sometimes!) I will hear God’s voice more clearly. My “preparing” will be acknowledged: the plowshares will make ready the ground; the pruning of unproductive branches will happen as I “walk by the light of the Lord.”
Prayer: Lord God, may we walk by Your Light and so be strengthened for the days to come. Amen.
Isaiah spoke of life here on earth, a future when conflicts would be resolved--not by war--but by God’s arbitration and judgments. At least that is one interpretation of this passage. And that can be a very hope-filled vision.
But what does this passage mean for me in this time of Advent, this time of preparation for the coming birth of a Savior? What does it mean to prepare for new life? Or even, what is this new life I am to prepare for?
I have accepted a call to be the Potomac Highlands District Lay Leader. That is certainly a call to a new life for me. I am now walking a new path, but yet an old path. I have never been in such a position, so it is new to me. But it is a path of God’s calling, and She has prepared this path, and walks it with me.
I prepared for this by prayer and supplication, and with the payers of friends, old and new. I took with me on my journey the words of Isaiah: to look for God’s instruction and to walk by the light of the Lord.
As I write these words it sounds so simple and straight forward. But sometimes the “instruction” is not as clear as I would like and the answers to questions seem hidden in the dark.
As I am vigilant, dedicated in my spiritual disciplines (and how hard that can be sometimes!) I will hear God’s voice more clearly. My “preparing” will be acknowledged: the plowshares will make ready the ground; the pruning of unproductive branches will happen as I “walk by the light of the Lord.”
Prayer: Lord God, may we walk by Your Light and so be strengthened for the days to come. Amen.
Jane Arnold, Capon Bridge UMC, Capon Bridge, WV jpasings@frontiernet.net Potomac Highlands District Lay Leader
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