God of all days, be with this dear reader in whatever she or he may face; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today is from Romans 13: 4 Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it's written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. 5 May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. 6 Then we'll be a choir - not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! 7 So reach out and welcome one another to God's glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! 8 Jesus, staying true to God's purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. 9 As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instance: Then I'll join outsiders in a hymn-sing; I'll sing to your name! 10 And this one: Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together! 11 And again: People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise! 12 And Isaiah's word: There's the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope! 13 Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!
Imagine finding in one of your closets, an old letter from a loved one who has long been gone to Glory. Would you dare say, "Ah, this old letter is no longer of any use, because Grandma/Mom/Dad/Grandpa, is dead and these word no longer have any relevance!" Yet, you read on and discover the voice that belonged to that loved one, still speaking, and speaking words of love and instruction to you. So it is with God's Word. We can never say that it is outdated and no longer relevant to us. No longer can we say that what we find if The Bible is of no use-- quite the opposite! If ever God had a telling word for our world it is now. In that letter of love we call scripture, God still speaks and still urges our faithfulness and our seeking to reach out to others in love. And like Paul, we should believe in the fulfillment of that Word to bring all to faith and love of God in such a way that this version shows a choir singing in one voice praising God for all that God has done.
The best singing is done with our actions not necessarily our voices. If we are singing a life of love, others will join in. If we are singing the praise of God with what we do, others will hear, not only our song, but the invitation coming from God to join in, with loud praise.
PRAYER: Loving God, this is Advent, a time to learn to sing with and beyond our voices. Let my life sing a song of praise to You in such a glorious way that others will want to join in. Let me still see and hear in Your precious Word that which speaks to my heart about who I am, and Whose I am; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
PS Your prayers for yours truly as today at 11:30 CT, I say goodbye to a tooth that has bothered me for a few years and this dentist was finally able to find it, do a root canal attempt to save it only to discover that it had cracked to the bone. I'm not a big fan of dentists and thank God for them, but pray for the success and calm of this terrible patient. Blessings to you!
