Seeing is Believing
Isaiah 63:7-9 (NLT)
7 I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
which he has granted according to his mercy and love.
8 He said, “They are my very own people.
Surely they will not betray me again.”
And he became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering he also suffered,
and he personally rescued them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them.
He lifted them up and carried them
through all the years.
I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
which he has granted according to his mercy and love.
8 He said, “They are my very own people.
Surely they will not betray me again.”
And he became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering he also suffered,
and he personally rescued them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them.
He lifted them up and carried them
through all the years.
We are given a reminder each year of God’s steadfast love for us. If we are completely blind to what God does for us each and every day of our life and cannot see how much he loves us, we are given a day and a season each year to remind us of his unconditional love for us.
Although this day has been commercialized, it is a reminder--even to the unsaved. We call it “Advent:” a time to focus on what is coming. The world calls Christmas season a time for remembering that it more blessed to give than to receive and after the day passes, it goes back to the way it was without following through and remembering that the greatest gift was Jesus.
A few years back I had the privilege of driving men from Recovery Point to Steele Memorial Methodist Church for Celebrate Recovery program. I was privileged by the fact that I sat in on some meetings and heard stories of how lives became unraveled because they didn’t know or had never heard of God’s steadfast love for those in distress.
It was amazing to see lives changed, attitudes changed because of the relationships being built by sharing God’s love. There were those whose lives were turned around wanting to go back into the world to become preachers because of accepting God’s presence in their lives and being redeemed by his word. It is amazing to see God’s love at work.
As we enter into the new year, let us open ourselves to being merciful to our fellow man. Let us share the good news with all we meet, but let us not only share with the less fortunate but let us make it a point of finding them, the unsaved so we can fulfill our duties as disciples.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your presence in our lives. Give us understanding and strength that we may complete the assignment You have given us. We ask this in the name of Your Precious Son Jesus. Amen
Although this day has been commercialized, it is a reminder--even to the unsaved. We call it “Advent:” a time to focus on what is coming. The world calls Christmas season a time for remembering that it more blessed to give than to receive and after the day passes, it goes back to the way it was without following through and remembering that the greatest gift was Jesus.
A few years back I had the privilege of driving men from Recovery Point to Steele Memorial Methodist Church for Celebrate Recovery program. I was privileged by the fact that I sat in on some meetings and heard stories of how lives became unraveled because they didn’t know or had never heard of God’s steadfast love for those in distress.
It was amazing to see lives changed, attitudes changed because of the relationships being built by sharing God’s love. There were those whose lives were turned around wanting to go back into the world to become preachers because of accepting God’s presence in their lives and being redeemed by his word. It is amazing to see God’s love at work.
As we enter into the new year, let us open ourselves to being merciful to our fellow man. Let us share the good news with all we meet, but let us not only share with the less fortunate but let us make it a point of finding them, the unsaved so we can fulfill our duties as disciples.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your presence in our lives. Give us understanding and strength that we may complete the assignment You have given us. We ask this in the name of Your Precious Son Jesus. Amen
Lyle Henderson, Central United Methodist Huntington, WV laughinlyle@aol.com, CLM, Certified Lay Servant, Lay Leader
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