Monday, December 7, 2015

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.”Isaiah 35:3-4

When we are lonely, scared, and most vulnerable, life may seem overwhelming. Alone, we find that life is difficult; scared, we find our hands weak and our knees shaky and feeble. We often seek the “miraculous” or other supernatural events to reveal to us a much-needed intervention in our lives. But that never seems to come. So where do we go to have our hands strengthened and our knees firmed? It is then (and sometimes only then) that we seek out God. It is then that we must be saved, not by ourselves, but by the help of God.

As the prophet states, we encourage the lonely, the broken and those with fearful hearts “to be strong: Here is your God.” Isaiah goes on to promise that God will “come and save you.” In this season of Advent, we remember that God became human; that He came and saved us. God showed us a miraculous birth of a child who grew to be Jesus, the Christ. It is Jesus who saved us from sin and death, and gave us eternal life.

Today, God continues His care of the scared, fearful and lonely through us. It is a privilege to work with and alongside God’s servants at Liberty Lutheran, providing care and comfort to seniors, children and families, refugees, immigrants, and disaster relief in times when we find ourselves most vulnerable.

As we wait on the Advent of our Lord, let us strengthen the hands of the weak and make firm the fearful of heart!

Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Protect us by your strength and save us from the threatening dangers of our sins, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Rev. David Young is pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Blue Bell and Grace Lutheran Church, Warminster. He is a Geriatric Counselor at Journey’s Way Senior Center, Philadelphia, and a member of the Board of Directors of Liberty Lutheran Services.