salvation – Page 7 – Be Still…

Micah 2:12-13 – A New Beginning

Have you had the experience of reading a Bible passage, being completely certain the Holy Spirit gave you a message loud and clear, only to hear another’s viewpoint which is not at all the same? It’s like the Holy Spirit had a different message for them. Yet both messages seem relevant, even possible.

That just happened to me on this passage with my husband, David. You’ll recall he did his doctoral dissertation on the coherence of the Book of Micah, so I wasn’t surprised we may have had a different take. I was thrilled he shared with me several books from well-respected scholars displaying our respective messages. I had no idea Bible scholars had written such differing opinions so openly and with such authority. It was exhilarating! The Spirit inside me was overjoyed, too!

Amos 9:1-10 – All Escape Routes Closed

Read Amos 9:1-10

We have the fifth and final vision Amos records for us. This one is special because of God’s presence seen by Amos at the altar. There are very few people who have seen God, so Amos is immediately set apart as belonging to a special class of God’s ambassadors. We can also be ambassadors for God in our own circles and beyond. What does that look like for you?

In this intimate encounter, God confirms all of the messages he has already given Amos. This vision is thought to be one Amos received at a time later than the other visions. Take a moment to just let these words settle. “Then I saw a vision of the Lord standing beside the altar.” Seeing God is an honor I can only imagine having. How will it feel?

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 – Wisdom & Power

Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

little girl reading a book while sitting on a pile of books

God has it all figured out. We don’t need to doubt that, yet we do at times, thinking we might have a better idea. God’s wisdom has no boundaries. Don’t you agree this is a powerful statement by Paul. “Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.”

Paul wanted to remind the young church that God’s wisdom was what they should rely upon, even if they didn’t understand it. In that day, “wisdom” would have been ascribed to people having “exalted knowledge” and the ability to share that knowledge in a polished way. I think of “hoity-toity” circles of people with lots of head knowledge not truly enjoying life and looking down at people with less knowledge than them.

Day 8 The First Noel

Read Luke 2:8-20

the first noel, the nativity with the kings

Jesus’ birth ushered in the celebration of “noel,” which simply means “born on Christmas.” That’s why we won’t find the word “noel” in the Bible. It does speak of the birth we celebrate on Christmas and is quite a popular word in this carol. It’s good to remember the reason for the season because we often see the Christmas story portrayed in other ways these days. For instance, heartwarming Santa stories, to include one of my favorites, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”

Our Christmas carol today is fun to sing, and there are six verses! I realized that the Lutheran hymnal from when I was a kid adds a sixth, very powerful verse, not found in most other sources. So, we’ll take a look at that today, too! The refrain or chorus is repeated after each verse. It’s simply, “Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, Born is the King of Israel.” If you’re like me, the tune is rushing off your lips!

Day 7 What Child is This?

A baby's head being cradled by a large hand with baby looking up

Jesus is this Child. This Child is God. Why is that so important?

The lyrics of this song will show us. The first verse speaks of Jesus’ kingship. We must haste to bring worship to our King Jesus! This baby was guarded and sang over by an audience of shepherds and angels.

What child is this who, laid to rest,
on Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
while shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
haste, haste to bring him laud,
the babe, the son of Mary!