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Posted on December 9, 2020 by beverlyeash

1“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Malachi 3:1

6God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1:6-9

Comforting, isn’t it, to know that the God we serve never changes. If he said it, it will come to be. Just as he spoke through prophets long ago, he sent a man, John the Baptist, to prepare the way for Jesus — to prepare the hearts of the people for the message of Jesus. John wasn’t the One and he knew it.

Since then, we all have a role to play in God’s grand scheme. Obviously, it isn’t to prepare for his first coming…that already happened! But very likely you can be instrumental in preparing someone for his second coming. In what ways are you specially prepared to serve those around you? How can you share the light of Jesus with someone today?

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Posted on December 8, 2020 by beverlyeash

12Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Here is the man called the Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of the Lord. 13Yes, he will build the Temple of the Lord. Then he will receive royal honor and will rule as king from his throne. He will also serve as priest from his throne, and there will be perfect harmony between his two roles.’

Zechariah 6:12-13

In the Old Testament, the office of king and priest were always kept separate. The king did not act as priest for the people and the priest did not rule as the king.

Saul was Israel’s first king. In the first years of his reign, the Philistines were coming against them and Samuel commanded Saul to wait for him to offer a sacrifice. Saul grew impatient waiting and decided to offer the sacrifice himself. It cost him dearly, for the Lord took the kingdom from his family.

Later, Saul did not obey the commands of the Lord and Samuel confronts him, saying, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’ Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

Saul was confused about his role. He was anointed king, but tried to perform priestly functions and develop his own standards for being the king. It cost him the throne.

In Jesus, the two roles — priest and king — are combined flawlessly. He stands in the gap, interceding for us, having offered the perfect sacrifice for our sin. He also rules over all creation; he is the perfect representation of God our King. He is the perfect King Priest.

 3The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

Hebrews 1:3

1Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.

Hebrews 8:1-2

26He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.

Hebrews 7:26

He isn’t like the human priests or kings of the past. He is exactly what we need! As you look forward to celebrating his coming as a baby, remember to look beyond the manger to his return as glorious King!

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Posted on December 7, 2020 by beverlyeash

1Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 2And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 4He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

Isaiah 11:1-5

Immediatly this passage convicts me. Convicts me because it is so easy to make judgments based on appearance or hearsay. It is not my first reaction to step back, to remind myself that all may not be as it seems. But that is my first desire when I think of others making judgments about me. I want the benefit of the doubt.

Jesus said in Matthew 7, we should not judge others because whatever measure we use will be the one used against us. As a new week begins, I invite you to join me in the challenge to take a second look, to say first, “all may not be as it seems,” to offer grace when judgment comes naturally.

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Posted on December 4, 2020 by beverlyeash

1Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” 2But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” 4Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Genesis 15:1-6

There is so much I love about this passage and what it teaches me about God. If I only read verses one and six, I get a picture of what could be considered perfect faith — God said it, Abram believed it. But it is verses two through five that make faith like Abram attainable.

Between God’s promise and Abram’s faith is doubt. Doubt that life will work out as God promised. Doubt that the blessing will actually be realized. Doubt because human eyes can’t see God’s provision. Doubt.. I understand doubt.

God’s response to Abram’s doubt is affirmation of the promise — look at the stars. That is a picture of your descendants from your own son. Abram needed reassurance; God provided it. And then, Abram believed.

Do you need reassurance today? Are you between hearing and believing, hanging out with doubt?

Ask.

And then believe!

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Posted on December 3, 2020 by beverlyeash

1“Comfort, comfort my people,”says your God. 2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her twice over for all her sins.”3Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,“Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! 4Fill in the valleys,and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. 5Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”

Isaiah 40:1-5

My heart says, “Wow!”

Pause. Imagine for a moment that Jesus is sitting right in front of you. He gently takes your face in his hands and speaks words of comfort to you. He says,”Don’t be sad! Your sins are forgiven! Look, I am leveling the path before you, straightening the curves, removing the obstacles, restoring your strength!”

Look! The glory of the Lord is revealed in you! The Lord has spoken!

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Posted on December 2, 2020 by beverlyeash

8When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” 11“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 13Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” 14Then the Lord God said to the serpent,“Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. 15And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:8-15

During my undergraduate studies, I had a professor who regularly told us, “if you want to know something, go back to the beginning.” He referenced the first three chapters of Genesis. He consistently showed us how so many answers are nestled in these first three chapters — created for relationship, choosing autonomy, promise of redemption.

Today, as I go back to the beginning, I see myself in these verses. The Lord is my shepherd and I have all that I need and yet I still look outside of his provision, in case he is holding out on me. I resort to blaming situations or people around me for my choices. He continually seeks me out, giving me opportunity for confession (where are you? what have you done?) and always with a plan for restoration.

Hostility still exists between humanity and the serpent. Take courage, though. While he may strike the heel which is a wound that weakens, Jesus struck his head which is a death blow.

Yes. I still need the Redeemer. Promised so long ago, appearing as a baby in a manger, dying triumphant over our enemy! Today, I celebrate his birth and look forward to his return!

Below I included a link to a short clip from the movie, “The Passion of Christ.” It depicts Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and Satan’s attempt to keep him from the cross. If you have not watched the movie, the clip is quite graphic and yet a powerful depiction of Jesus crushing the head of Satan.

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Posted on December 1, 2020 by beverlyeash

7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! 8The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem. 9Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song, for the Lord has comforted his people. He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10The Lord has demonstrated his holy power before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see the victory of our God.

Isaiah 52:7-10

When the messenger approaches, the watchmen shout with joy because they see him coming. The watchmen, in turn, shout to those waiting for news of the power of God demonstrated.

I am challenged to consider if I am watching — watching for demonstrations of the power of God. Perhaps I do not sing and shout for joy because I am no longer watching, waiting, expecting.

At the time of Jesus birth, it was the shepherds who heralded the news of his birth. They weren’t the messengers anyone expected, so the message was suspect. Who might the messengers be in your life, different than you expected, but still bringing the message of God’s power?

My prayer today: Lord open my ears to hear your proclamation of peace and salvation. Open my eyes to see you moving with power. Open my heart to receive your comfort. Open my mouth to declare your praises of victory!

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Posted on November 30, 2020 by beverlyeash

Yesterday, November 29, was the first Sunday of the Christian Advent season. The word advent is the English translation of the Latin word for coming. Old Testament prophecies pointed to the first coming of Jesus as a baby; today Christians celebrate his birth and anticipate his return during the days of Advent.

Every day this month, I will focus on a scripture that helps you open your heart and prepare room for celebrating the birth of Christ as well as look forward to his return. Other Advent activities include calendars, prayers, readings, wreaths and candles — all linked here to Crosswalk.com. This can be a whole family event or something you do personally to enrich the holiday season.

9O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah,“Your God is coming!” 10Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

Isaiah 40:9-11

This was written to the people of Israel a long time ago. But today as I read it, I am challenged to shout from the mountain top that “Our God is coming!” It is the message of hope our world needs to hear. The way I do that will be different than the way you do it, but we all have a role to play in God’s grand scheme.

Simultaneously, I am comforted by the image of Jesus as my shepherd, gathering me in his arms and carrying me close to his heart. As I pause to visualize that, a deep peace settles over me, replacing the angst that has followed me today.

How are you challenged by this passage? How are you comforted?

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Posted on November 27, 2020 by beverlyeash

1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Philippians 2:1-5

It has been a really long time since I’ve lain awake at night, unable to sleep, plagued with anxious thoughts. Thursday morning, I was awakened by something around 2:30 a.m. Sleep evaded me for several hours. During those awake hours, my mind kept returning to a conversation I had the previous evening.

My oldest daughter is an RN in a doctor’s office. This week she was at the hospital and ran into a colleague she worked with in her first job after college. They chatted awhile and then my daughter asked the other nurse how she was doing. She paused, her eyes brimmed with tears and she replied, “Exhausted!” Turning away without further explanation, she rushed to her car. Later she messaged my daughter to explain her hurried retreat, apologizing for not being able to stay and chat. Work at the hospital has been so challenging for her.

I laid awake thinking of this dear woman and the challenges she faces every day. Not only her, but staff in all hospitals. My heart broke as I pondered how desperate she felt. Having volunteered in the hospital with the Chaplain’s office, I had a clear picture of isolation rooms during flu season. I knew that what I witnessed was nothing compared to what they are seeing now.

Two things I experienced during the wee hours of the morning. First, I knew there was no way I would go to sleep on my own. The thoughts were too heavy. The issues too immense. I reminded myself of my passage for this week and I began to visualize, “Christ in me.” I asked the question, “what difference does it make right now that Christ lives in me?” And I leaned into His presence.

Secondly, I pondered what I could do to help the situation. I don’t have medical training so I can’t go to work there. But I can do something. For starters, I can pray for this woman and all the others who tirelessly go to work every day knowing there isn’t enough time to do what needs to be done; wondering if mistakes are being made that cost someone a life needlessly; returning home exhausted.

And then I can do my part to think of others before myself. Asking myself before I go out and about, “Is this necessary? Is this expedient?”

I know there is so much disagreement about this, but today I want to make a plea for health care workers. What can you do to protect them? To lighten their load? Because the truth is, when I need them, I want them to be available and able to help. So, ponder this a moment today. Because it’s Black Friday for someone and that doesn’t mean they are shopping.

1Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Philippians 2:1-5

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Posted on November 26, 2020 by beverlyeash

I am that grandma. If I see things my grandchildren would like, I buy them and hide them in the drawer. At just the right time, I bring them out. My oldest granddaughter has learned to ask about the surprises.

Her birthday also happens to be on December 21. Recently, when she asked for a surprise, I told her the gifts are for her birthday and Christmas so she will need to wait. It’s driving her crazy. So crazy, in fact, that she regularly asks my daughter what kinds of things Grandma is hiding. The other day she told my daughter this: “I have a story (I think she meant idea). You tell me what Grandma is hiding and when she gives it to me I will still love it!”

Secrets bring out the schemer in us. My sister really doesn’t like secrets so when she gets wrapped Christmas presents in the mail, she carefully peels back the wrapping to see what it is and then fixes it and puts it under the tree. Sometimes you just have to know!

Paul talks about a secret, a mystery, in his letters to the early church. He confirms that he knows the secret, and fortunately for us, he shares it.

26This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. 27For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Colossians1:26-27

Today, I am grateful that Christ lives in me. This scripture has been my meditation all week and it raises a lot of questions in my mind. Mostly, how do I live differently knowing that Christ is in me? What difference is his presence making in my life? How does his energy animate my days?

How about you? Does the knowledge of Christ in you change your outlook? What do you do differently?

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