Morning
Read Isaiah 1vv24-31
Reflection
Americans live at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to approaching an understanding of Advent. For us, Christmas is Santa Clause, lights, and Coca-Cola Polar Bears. But some of the major themes of Advent from the biblical perspective, highlighted in Isaiah 1, do not fit well with our Precious Moments manger scenes and commodified baby Jesus: the themes of God’s wrath and judgment. Judgment is a swear word in our society but for the biblical authors, the judgment of God is something to be longed for and welcomed. John, in John 1 says, that the judgment of God shows the darkness for what it really is and shows us even our own affinity for the darkness. God’s judgment brings clarity, it brings justice, it brings guilt and shame, but in the language of Isaiah 1v27: Zion shall be redeemed by justice,and those in her who repent, by righteousness. Judgment brings pain yes, but it also brings the possibility of newness.
Pray: Lord, judge my life. Heal my life from the self-destructiveness of sin and show me that even your judgments are mercy towards me.
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