Thursday, December 13, 2018

Today’s Scripture Reading  |  Isaiah 52:7–10
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. (NRSV)

Reflection
How beautiful the mountains are. How beautiful the good news is. How beautiful God’s love is. This is a situation in which the beauty of the message gets credited to the messenger. Even the messenger is so beautiful! Even the messenger’s feet! What a celebration this scripture conveys. Peace, salvation, joy. Singing, redemption, comfort.

I love the image of God rolling up God’s sleeves in order to get the work done of saving the world. God bares God’s holy arm. Salvation throughout the Hebrew scriptures refers to many kinds of wholeness. The people pray to be saved from enemies, saved from war, saved from illness, saved from hunger, saved from injustice. These are all ways that God brings salvation—by bringing peace, joy, song, and comfort. God is a God of justice and a God of love. Eventually all the nations, all the ends of the earth, will see salvation—that is, they will see and know the peace and justice of the God of love.

Prayer
God of glory, God of all possibility, bring your reign to our earth by raining down your healing power, your strength, your vision, your justice, your peace. Help me to roll up my sleeves and work alongside you, bringing a beautiful message of wholeness to everyone I meet. Amen.

Written by Nanette Sawyer, Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Small Group Ministry

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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