Saturday, January 7, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading
Isaiah 60:1–6

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord. (NRSV) 

Reflection

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” 

As we move into a new year, I think this is a passage that we all really need to hear. We can very much relate to the Israelites, as they had been through some very difficult times full of darkness and despair. Over the last two years, we have dealt with a global pandemic, distance between each other, increased violence, and a divided society. We are now inching our way back into some normalcy, but that provides its own set of challenges as well. I know that I am struggling to return to “normal” times. I lack the motivation I once had, still have fears of illness, and I now tend to spend my downtime on the couch watching the latest Netflix program rather than doing any of the things that I once enjoyed. Our struggles may not be quite what the Israelites experienced, but we have surely had our fair share of darkness and hard times.  

The good news is, our light has come! Just as Isaiah had promised, Jesus our Savior is born! We have a grace-filled, loving God that is always with us. Will we face difficulties in our lives, in our society, and in our world? Of course. But, we have a God and a Savior filled with love and grace, forgiveness and light during both the good times and the tough ones.  

Prayer

Loving God, I thank you for your grace and care, both in times of light and times of darkness. Help me to be a living example of your love and grace to all that I meet each day. Amen.  

Written by Briana Belding-Peck, Family Ministry Coordinator

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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