25th. May. 2021. Daily Devotion.
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord – 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:1-3
Isaiah was speaking to a culture with conflicted values. In some ways it was like our culture today, in which people might gather for worship but are not really interested in living for God. Many are distracted by wealth, beauty, power, and material things.
Isaiah’s message was uncomfortable for people then, and it still jolts people awake today. God isn’t satisfied with people going through the motions of worship and then ignoring his call to do what is just and right in the world. Isaiah’s message unveils the depths of God’s standards. Through Isaiah God warned the people that their sin would bring consequences: destruction and captivity.
But then later God would also bring restoration. God promised to send a Saviour who would lead by doing what is right and just, bringing peace and rest for the nations. Isaiah uses vivid imagery to describe all of this, and he compares the judgment and redemption of God’s people to trees. Big, lofty trees representing power and prestige will be cut down and brought low. But hope will rise again later when a shoot grows from a stump.
The Spirit of God will do this— not on the basis of human power or pride but by wisdom, mercy, and justice. Greatness will come through humility. Life will come through death. ~ JP Vanderveen.
God, we confess that we often think “bigger is better,” and we marvel that you will bring about redemption for all creation— not by a triumphant, overpowering conquest but through the unassuming birth of the Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
To Spread Cheer
Holy God, as I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more cheer than gloom, spread more joy than despair. Let me remind those I meet that our final existence will be total joy, and that we may taste this joy through the Spirit even today.
Never let me become so indifferent that I will fail to see the wonder in the eyes of a child, or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged. Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people, make them happy, and forget momentarily all the temporary unpleasantness in their lives. And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper, “When you made My people smile, you made Me smile.”
In the Hospital
Merciful God, your Spirit hovers over us and all our troubled world, interceding for us with sighs too deep for words. Help us now. Chaos and destruction have shattered our lives. Stay with us as we wait for news, for healing, for help. Give us strength and courage to bear the unknown. Uphold us with your sustaining grace, and show us your care through neighbours, strangers, and friends. Sustain all those whom we love with your healing and your peace. Guide the hands and strengthen the hearts of medical professionals as they work to save. Let those who have been injured know that you are near; give them rest from pain and fear, and restore their hope, we pray in the name of Christ, our light. Amen. — Book of Common Worship PCUSA
Benediction
May I go in peace, with God and with his other children, and may we love one another as Christ taught us. May I follow the example of good men of old and may God comfort and help me and all who believe in Him, both in this world and in the world which is to come. Amen.
