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Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence - As when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil - To shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots! You did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence. Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you've been with us! We've sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We're all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves - sin-dried, we're blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you've turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins. Still, God, you are our Father. We're the clay and you're our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don't be too angry with us, O God. Don't keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people - all of us. (Isaiah 64:1-9 The Message)
Growing up poor, one tends to have used cars that need a lot of attention. My dad was a very handy man when it came to repairing our old cars. He always seemed to have either an old t-shirt or a red shop rag with which he wiped his hands. And in our bathroom, he always had a bar of Lava soap with which he washed his hands. I was reminded of this in the reading of today's passage from the prophet Isaiah. As he awaited for God to "rip open the heavens and descend" in such a way that "the mountains (would) shudder" at God's presence, he reflected on why the people were in the condition in which they were. Isaiah knew they had sinned against God and God's silence towards them was deafening; but they needed and wanted God to come down. I love the line, "Our best efforts are greased-stained rags." In other words, there's nothing we can do on our own to save ourselves when it comes to our sin. It takes a great action on God's part to remove our sin. That's what Advent is all about. As we await the celebration of God's sending Jesus the first time, and as we reflect on our spiritual lives as we await Christ's return, we need to ask God to remove our sins. I remember holding the rags my Dad had dirtied as he tried to get the car running again; nothing could ever make that rag new or completely clean again I would think. We can never say that about our spiritual life; God can make us new and completely clean through what God did in the first visit on the earth of Jesus our Lord.
We begin be confessing our sins, and asking that God make us new and clean. We ask that God would be at work in us, using us to get the word out about His love and mercy. We look towards the manger and see the Savior; the one who takes away the sins of the world, and even our sins.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for loving us and for sending Jesus to demonstrate that love towards us. We pray that we might be made new and clean each day as we confess our sins and turn them over to You. Help us to live in such a way that we give witness to Your presence and power in our lives. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord's strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a handy clean rag that helps others know where to get clean of their sin today!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Request: I ask continued prayers for Rev. Scott Bradford, a dear friend and colleague, senior pastor of First UMC in San Angelo. He has undergone a second surgery in as many weeks and is in severe pain; we pray for his quick healing and comfort. Thank you.
