For to Us a Child is Born

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

2^nd Sunday in Advent

Isaiah 9:6-7 – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Anticipating the sunrise on a cold March morning in the hills of eastern Ohio. Pathfinder School property, near Jackson, Ohio.

If you have ever camped out in cold weather you know a little something about anticipation. The dark hours of early morning, before even the faintest rays of sunshine begin to grace the eastern sky, seem endless. There is certainly some trepidation knowing that you have to climb out of a warm sleeping bag into the freezing morning air. But, there is also excitement for those good things you know await you, stoking the smoldering embers of last night’s fire back to a blaze by which to warm yourself, that first steaming cup of coffee, and, perhaps, a hot cinnamon roll baked in a Dutch oven over the coals.

Those in Isaiah’s time knew a lot about anticipation. In fact, it would be many generations before the promised Messiah arrived. Fortunately for us, we have the advantage of knowing how the story of the Messiah unfolds. Advent is a time of waiting for Christmas, that day we have set aside to celebrate the birth of Christ. But, as Christians, our real anticipation is for the coming of God’s eternal kingdom, that time when we can celebrate the “marriage supper of the lamb” (Revelation 19:9) with our Lord and Savior in heaven. If a warm campfire, a steaming cup of coffee, and a hot cinnamon roll on a cold morning sound good, try to imagine what awaits us in heaven!

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He Hurls Down His Crystals of Ice

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Psalm 147:15-18 – He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. ¹⁶ He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. ¹⁷ He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? ¹⁸ He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

Water, ice, and snow cover the spillway at Caesar Creek Lake after our first big storm of the winter. Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio.

When it is 16 °F outside and the ground is covered with snow and ice most of us prefer to stay indoors. It is an easy decision to stay inside, warm and protected from the elements, if you have no reason to go outside and brave the cold. Likewise, as Christians, we often find ourselves staying within the protective walls of our churches. We are comfortable and safe among our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is easy for us to fall into a routine that isolates us from the world and the people outside the doors of our church.

Even if it is cold and harsh out there we need to remember the mission to which Jesus calls us in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Christ promises to always be with us; and, fortunately for us, the protection he offers is much more certain than that offered by the winter clothing we don to venture out on a cold winter’s eve.

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Whiter than Snow

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Psalm 51:7-12 – Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. ⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. ⁹ Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Freshly fallen snow along a fence line near the Carl A. Rahe Access. Little Miami State Park, Foster, Ohio.

While this photo is not from the winter storm that has blanketed us with snow here in southwestern Ohio today, I felt a winter theme was definitely in order for today’s post. I hope to get out and add a few nice winter photos to my “portfolio” tomorrow.

The amazing thing about photography is that we can capture a moment in time and preserve it, allowing it to be appreciated for years to come. What I find even more amazing, though, is that our God, the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Creator of the universe, does not see our sins like the photographs in an old family album. Fortunately for us, through the blood shed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, God has blotted out all our iniquities and removed the stain of sin from our lives. Through Christ’s blood we have been washed clean and can rejoice knowing that we have been made whiter than snow!

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Not Neglecting to Meet Together

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Todd D. Nystrom

Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

A quartet of ring-billed gulls gathered together along the shores of Lake Erie. Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania.

I suspect my introverted nature and desire for solitude are traits I share with many who enjoy hiking and the outdoors. Time alone for prayer, reflection, or simply to get away and recharge our batteries is a good thing. As I wrote about in a previous blog post, there are plenty of examples in Christ’s own earthly ministry where he and his disciples took time to get away.

But, as much as we may enjoy our time alone, today’s passage from Hebrews reminds us that we should not neglect gathering together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. From the first pages of the Bible we discover that God himself is relational, and, that we are relational beings, created in his image. In Genesis 1: 26-27 we read,

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

There is much more to these verses, but I have two points that I want to highlight here. First, God says “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Here God refers to himself using the plural pronouns us and our, not the singular, me and my. ¹ God is clearly relational. Second, he created us male and female in his image. We, too, are relational beings. From the beginning, we were created with a deep need for a relationship with God, as well as relationships with other people. Unfortunately we live in a fallen world where all of our relationships are complicated by sin and selfishness.

But, there is good news! As Christians we have hope through Christ. As Christians we have the opportunity, as today’s passage tells us, to encourage and “stir up one another to love and good works.” Of course, we can only do these things as long as we are “not neglecting to meet together.”

Read more about my “God is Revealed…“ category of posts

¹ While an explanation and defense of the central Christian doctrine of the Trinity is beyond the scope of a short devotional, this verse does clearly point to the relational nature of God. If you want to explore the doctrine of the Trinity further, I recommend this link to the Monergism.com website where you will find numerous links to many excellent writings on the doctrine of the Trinity.