Word to the Wise
Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 2nd Week of Advent - Thurs
[Isa 41:13-20 and Matt 11:11-15]"I am the Lord, your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'" [Isaiah]
Many of us are familliar with the grand old hymn that begins, "Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand..." Isaiah's words of comfort in today's first scripture evoked that old hymn in my mind. He promises God's familiar help much like that of the hand of an adult that we as children would grab when walking in unfamiliar territory or a crowd or crosssing a street. God's providential care is described by Isaiah as making a desert come to life.
The power of this care is longer lasting than the build-up to Christmas in the holiday season when everything climbs to a peak on Christmas Day and then drops off to a minor peak for New Year's and life moves on. The power of this care takes us on through those times described in another old hymn - "Wheat That Springeth Green" - that says, "When our hearts are wintry...." All of this is celebrated in Advent when deserts and Winters face us in the midst of cultural celebration. We can take God's strong hand and move through it, knowing that help will have skin on it in the form of a child to be born. AMEN