Tuesday, December 4, 2018
And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and
you have promised this good thing to your servant; now therefore
may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may
continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and
with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.
2 Samuel 7: 28-29
Anytime I have experienced moments of serene peace, selfless love,
inexpressible joy, or life giving hope, there’s always a moment where
I think to myself, “I wish this could go on forever.” Unfortunately, those
moments become new ones, and the blessings that had once been so
clear and tangible become memories that we cling to in times of struggle,
grief, or hopelessness.
In these verses, God has promised King David that God will raise up one
who would not only continue David’s royal line, but would be a King of
kings, with a kingdom that lasts for eternity (7:12-13). David’s words are in
thanksgiving to God, as well as a plea for God’s promised blessing to
never end.
David is giving thanks for a yet-to-be-born Jesus, who fulfills God’s
promises to David, Israel, and creation itself. In Jesus, we trust that God’s
promised blessings of peace, love, joy, and hope are indeed true and good
for us. In Jesus, we see God reaching out through us to provide shelter
for the weathered, food for the hungry, comfort for those who grieve and
mourn, and hope that tomorrow will be better than today. God blesses the
church and its ministries to remind us that God’s blessings never leave us,
and uses us to share Christ’s coming throughout the world. Peace, love,
joy, and hope persist with us in times of struggle, grief, and hopelessness,
because God abides with us in Christ. May our hearts, which long for God’s
continued blessing in our lives, always cry out with hopeful expectation
and an assurance that God’s blessings are true: Come, Lord Jesus.
Bless us by your Advent, Lord Jesus, and strengthen us by your blessings
forever. Amen.
The Rev. Brandon Heavner is the pastor at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Bethlehem, and member of the Lutheran Congregational Services
Advisory Team.
No comments:
Post a Comment