prophet – Be Still…

Christmas 💗 Isaiah 9:6 – Jesus

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

What do you think Isaiah thought when he gave us this message? Did he know it was a Messianic prophecy? Did he have any inkling that this child would be so famous? Of course, any child being called Mighty God had to be pretty special!

At Christmas we remember the precious child, God’s own son, born just for us. God loves us that much! Make sure you stop a couple of times today to marvel at how God’s majesty was laying in a manger bed. How humbling!

Mark 6:1-6 – Not Welcome

Read Mark 6:1-6

Have you ever felt unwelcome because of your faith? Have you ever kept your faith a “secret” for fear of being excluded from a group? I’m not suggesting this is what this passage is talking about all at, but it helps get into the right frame of mind to feel the rejection.

For Jesus, that rejection was from people who knew him, had watched him grow up, and who he had learned from. Jesus returned to his hometown, Nazareth. Some might expect Jesus would have been welcomed as the “hometown hero.” We see that kind of attitude today for athletes, entertainers, and other people who have become “famous.” Their birthplaces are often recognized as “places of interest.”

Mark 4:30-34 – Mustard Anyone?

Read Mark 4:30-34

Jesus continues to use seeds to describe the kingdom of God. This is the third time he uses seeds in his analogies. That tells me that seeds would be something understood universally by many people. For me, when I first read the parable of the mustard seed, I had no idea how tiny those seeds were. It wasn’t until I was doing a children’s sermon years ago that I actually saw a mustard seed up close. You might just need a magnifying glass!

How fitting that Jesus would give the mustard seed such attention! Jesus was a master at making hard topics understandable. We can all picture something huge growing out of something small. Jesus says that’s what the kingdom of heaven is like.

Malachi 4:1-6 – Judgment Day

Read Malachi 4:1-6

This is the last chapter of the Old Testament. That fact alone gives me goosebumps as I write this reflection. There will be a huge gap of time (400 years or so) between this writing and the New Testament. The people would have to wait a long time to see some of these prophecies fulfilled.

This prophecy would have given the faithful hope for the future. Like today, there were those obedient to God and his decrees in Malachi’s day. The unfaithful probably turned the other way and ignored Malachi altogether, in denial of their coming peril. People still refuse to listen to God’s word. This prophecy is no exception.

Malachi 3:6-15 – Test God

Read Malachi 3:6-15

God welcomes us to test him. He means business in this call to repentance! In this prophecy, God reveals his character as a good father. He says, “I do not change.” Why does that make God good? Because when something doesn’t change, it’s reliable. We can always count on God. He always loves us. That’s very good!

Unfortunately, the people have taken advantage of God and cheated him. They have robbed God of the wholehearted devotion he deserves. Their response to God (in those days it was sacrifices) was less than desirable. Not only did they try and sacrifice damaged goods, but the potential of what they could share with God was reduced because of their greed while seeking the wrong thing.