Advent 10th December

“It will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Saviour and a Champion, and He will deliver them. Thus the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. The Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the Lord, and He will respond to them and will heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance." Isaiah 19:20-25

Readings

Psalm 96
Isaiah 19:20-25,   

John 4:1-26

Reflection

Do you spend time thinking about angels? Apart from at Christmas. I usually picture them as winged creatures flying around heaven’s throne worshipping God and occasionally making visits to earth to carry out His decrees and scare people. However, the first stanza of this great hymn catches my attention and wow , here they were present at the creation singing the praises of God as they viewed His handiwork, and now we see them singing, "Glory to God in the highest!" as they fly around Christ's earthly birthplace in Bethlehem that night. They are witnesses to the entire story of man; the creation, the fall, now the redemption and, one day, the glorification at the second coming of Christ: INCREDIBLE! The first word of each stanza coupled with the last phrase reminds me that the invitation to "come and worship" is now open to all from the lowliest shepherd to the esteemed sage, and, from the Isaiah reading, from the God-fearing nation of Israel to the nations of Egypt and Assyria surrounding them. It is all about right worship—worship of Christ the new born King.

Prayer

I wait and look for you in my life.
I wait longing for the news I desperately want to hear.
I wait in desperation.
Help me to remember that “your grace is sufficient for me”   

So I lay it down, my tears, my fears .. my all and I come and worship. Amen