Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Comfort for God’s People
 Isaiah 40:1-11
 Moncy Mathews

 Baltimore MTC, MD

8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever…10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm…11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart…”


Recently, it seems not a day passes by without the mention of terror in the headlines. How do Christians respond when our days are plagued with terror, fear, and injustice? When helplessness is coupled with hopelessness, will peace or overall despair prevail?

 
 Hope prevails in the believer’s life. The passage in Isaiah 40: 1-11 is the guarantee of comfort. In this passage we see three interesting aspects. First, verse 8 reminds us our mortal lives have an expiration date but the Word of God does not. Second, verse 10 suggests the Sovereign Lord is powerful and He rules. Third, verse 11 reminds us that God tends to His flock like a shepherd and carries them close to His heart.

Our lives are compared to withering grass and falling flowers. This suggests our frailty and demonstrates the position God should have in our lives. Our short existence in this world depends on the Grace of God and during tumultuous times the Word of our God is the only constant, enduring source of comfort. God knew we would need reminders, constant consistent reminders about His providence and the level of security we find in Him. His Word endures forever even if our earthly lives have an expiration date.

The Sovereign Lord is powerful and He rules. People are utterly lost due to the lack of control over the chaos in their lives. So God reminds us He rules and He is powerful. This means He is aware of our predicament, our illnesses, our circumstance and our hopelessness. God already knows how, when and where to intervene because He rules and He is mighty. Sometimes we let the magnitude of our problems diminish the power of the All-Mighty God. The Goliaths we face in life will surely fall when God is on our side.
 At times, we struggle to understand where God is when all this evil is happening in and around our lives. The presence of evil doesn’t negate the existence of God. In fact, His word reminds us that He tends to His flock and carries them close to His heart. Can we ever find a more comforting place than being close to the heart of God? God loves us so much that He died for us. Let us do our part by shining, loving others and sharing the Good News to dispel the darkness in this world.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to allow You to rule in our lives, so that Your Word takes root and brings forth comfort to a desperate world in need of hope. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Comfort is a guaranteed blessing for believers. 

Popular posts from this blog

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
  Constant, patient and welcoming love of God   St. Luke 15: 11-32  V.21: And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ The parable of the ‘Prodigal son’ is one of the most frequently quoted parables that Jesus told His disciples. The parable contains the rich mine of human virtues and emotions. This parable is lived and re-lived in progressing civilizations from time immemorial and continuing. It brings out in vivid detail the pathetic depth of human sinfulness and the glorious heights of God’s forgiveness.      As a story of human nature, fathers are generally merciful to their children in any circumstance. They are very protective and are eager to provide for and secure the lives of their offspring. Jesus is telling this parable to underscore the superlative love of God to His children. The nature of such love is reiterated by Jesus in Matthew 7:11. Humankind wh...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
Revelation for Liberation Acts 27:18-26 Sherine Thomas Long Island MTC, NY 20  When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. “After winter comes the summer.  After night comes the dawn.  And after every storm, there comes clear open skies” so said a Scottish clergyman from the 1600s. It’s been said, that hope can sometimes be the most dangerous weapon.  However, it’s sometimes the hardest weapon to carry when you’re living with the loss of a loved one, something that almost feels like a terrible nightmare that’ll never go away.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry when day in and day out no one seems to hear or see those tears that are shed or silent cries that are made during a heartfelt prayer. It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you see your loved one lying on that hospital bed.  It’s a weapon difficult to carry as you search and seek out answers to tel...
Read more

Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

-
PRIESTHOOD: THE ANOINTED MINISTRY Exodus 40:12-16 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting... wash them with water. Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest (Exodus 40: 12-13). Priesthood among the people of God was a divine command and initiation. God wanted some people to be separated for the special ministry among his people. God appointed Aaron and his descendants to take up this kind of ministry among the people of God. Priests are always separated and appointed as channels that connect God with his people. All throughout the history of Israel, priests played an important role in connecting people with God and to lead and guide them in the statutes of God. But there are incidents in the Bible where the priests failed in their duties and that led the people to go away from God. So the priests have a special and significant ministry to perform in this world among his people. Two important things...
Read more