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10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, 11 "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." 12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." 13 And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman'u-el. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. (Isaiah 7:10-16 RSV)
Hi Friend! As we were leaving a fast food place yesterday evening in San Marcos, a young man got out of a car and walked hurriedly to the door. I suspect he knew what was coming next. The kid looked at me just as the Dad said, "I love you, son!" In my thinking this probably embarrassed the dickens out of the young man, but the Dad said it because he meant it. Nellie noticed the young man's look too, and said one should always appreciate the kind and loving words our dads and moms say to us. Many of us at this certain age would, in the words of the song, "trade all of my tomorrows for a single yesterday" just to hear our dad's or mom's voice again. The son is probably, in this point of his life, weary of hearing sappy things like "I love you, son." But the day will come, sometimes too soon, when the young man would give anything to hear it again.
This passage, as well as the season of Advent, is about people being made weary by others, but the prophet truly understands that we, too, can weary God. It got to the point, or as the scriptures say, "In the fullness of time," that God acted and sent His only begotten Son, because we had wearied each other, and God, with our behavior and attitude. Ahaz is asked by the LORD to ask a sign of the LORD your God, and it could be anything as deep as the place of no return, or as high as Heaven itself. But Ahaz wouldn't, for fear he might be putting God to the test. It was then that the message about weariness came to him and the people of God. He then says, God will give you a sign, and this is it: "Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us). He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, but the warning was that their land had wearied God to the point that before this child appeared, much desolation would come to the land. We know that it did.
Advent as our season right now is not to be worried about a desolate land from antiquity; we should we afraid of living a life that makes God weary with how we act, what we think, what we say, and how we worship (or not worship!). Advent is meant to spur us into action for the good and the positive as we seek to bless others with how we do live, by allowing Christ to make an impact in our lives now.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, if we have wearied you, please forgive us. If we continue to weary you, please remind us that this is not what you expect. Change us for the good. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Let someone see the change that has come upon your life, that instead of being a weary-causer, you are now a worship-causer!
Receive my blessings of love and peace!
Pastor Eradio Valverde
