Praying To Become Those Who Reflect The Wisdom and Light Of God's Love Wherever We Go

Pictures

Every time I go to Facebook I see an ad for a little USB stick that finds all of the digital photographs that are hidden somewhere on our computer hard drive.  With the cameras on our phones these days, if you are like me, you have hundreds of pictures somewhere on the cloud or on various devices.

As I put up a few Christmas decorations this year I added a “Christmas picture frame” with a picture of Mom and myself taken when she was at the Atrium – one of those nights when I stopped into see her after arriving late at the airport and James had picked me up and driven me to Orillia.  I still get a lump in my throat when I think about the joy of those meetings up after the months of only having phone conversations.  Normally I’d be in Ontario in October or November to see her but not this year.  I am thankful for the phone though, and pictures.

Today we pray with one of the pictures the prophet Isaiah gave the people of Jesus who was to come.  Hundreds of years before Jesus came God gave many and convincing descriptions of Him.  Here’s one:

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.  And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited.

The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.  He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.  Isaiah 11:1-5

One of the great joys we celebrate that connect Christmas celebrations with the coming again of Jesus Christ at the end of time is that we live because He lives in us.  God pours our His Spirit on us and fills us with Himself.  We are told that we are being changed more and more into the likeness of Jesus every day we walk with Him here on the earth and then at the end of time “in the twinkling of an eye” we will be changed completely.

All of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.  2 Corinthians 3:18

We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:51b-53

So Lord, we pray today that You will be poured out on us again today and that we would have the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and might, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord filling every part of us.  We want all other thoughts and ideas about what makes sense or not to be replaced with what Your Spirit is revealing to us. 

We so want the veil of misunderstanding and the lies of the evil one to be removed from our eyes so we can see and reflect Your glory, Lord and be made more and more like You as we are changed into Your glorious image. 

We pray that even in this Advent season of 2020 in such a strange and challenging time, that this would happen more for us this year than any time in the past.  Maybe we recognize our vulnerability a bit more and our need of Your power and presence more with so many out-of-control things happening around us.  Whatever the reason, we come with increased desire to know You and to reflect Your truth and glory everywhere we go.

As it was said of Jesus, we long for it to be said of us:  that we delight in obeying You.  That we not judge by appearance nor make decisions based on hearsay but that we bring justice for the poor in all we say and do and make fair decisions, particularly for those who are marginalized and exploited.

As eagerly as young children wait for Christmas and Santa Claus, so may our desire for Your return in glorious power grow and energize us to live well and joyfully today.