{"id":677,"date":"2021-01-16T05:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-16T13:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/?p=677"},"modified":"2021-01-16T05:19:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T13:19:00","slug":"god-with-us-in-the-mess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/?p=677","title":{"rendered":"God with Us in the Mess"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Isaiah 9:1-7)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What. A. Year. The word \u201cdarkness\u201d in our Lesson from Isaiah sums it up pretty well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Pandemic. Historic job loss and unemployment records. Lockdowns. Stay at home orders. Mask mandates. Isolation. Darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George Floyd. \u201cI can\u2019t breathe.\u201d Almost 8,000 BLM demonstrations and protests over a three-month period. Rioting and looting. Businesses burned down and destroyed. Racism. White privilege. White power. Proud boys. Police brutality. “Defund the police.” Darkness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politics. Election. Debate debacles. $13 billion spent – more than double what was spent in previous election. Conspiracy. Social media censoring. Fake news and voter fraud. Division. Darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Record-breaking tropical storms and hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast. Major rain and flooding in the Midwest. Record-breaking stretches of heat in the Southwest. Raging wildfires in Colorado and California – the largest ever in each state. Hazardous air quality. Literally, darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress\u2026 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned\u201d (Is. 9:1-2). <\/em><\/strong>Light! A great light! No more gloom for those who were in distress! Light shines in the darkness! Hope! Goodness! Possibility! Rescue! Newness! Light bundles all of these together as it drowns out the darkness! The world is not trapped in never-ending night! Daylight has dawned! Bright has replaced night! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it has all already happened! What Isaiah was referring to has already taken place. Christ has been born. Our Savior has been born. The perfection needed for our assurance of a home in heaven has been earned. The price required as payment for our sin has been paid! He died the death we deserved and rose to give us a life that we never deserved! It all happened. It\u2019s a done deal. The cry of \u201cIt is finished!\u201d from the cross meant the little child born in Bethlehem had completed his mission. The One whose name means \u201cSavior\u201d lived up to his billing. He came. He saved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ah, how promising it all sounds! But how quickly the words of Isaiah seem to be hushed. When I looked back on a Christmas sermon from a couple of years ago, guess what? With the exception of the virus, the same matters of racism, politics, and natural disasters were issues back then! So I ask you this: with all of our technology, our advancements, with all of our progress\u2026 is the world getting better? Is it really getting brighter? Or is it as dark as it\u2019s ever been? Isaiah tells us a light a great light has dawned, so why does it still seem\u2026 so dark?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems so dark because, well, it is <\/em>dark. And what\u2019s more? It\u2019s going to stay dark. But friends, don\u2019t be discouraged, for the darkness also allows us to see the light! Think about the only purpose darkness serves: it\u2019s dark when we\u2019re sleeping. When we\u2019re not functioning. When we\u2019re not active. When we\u2019re not living and moving and existing. But when we\u2019re up and awake, when we\u2019re living and active, darkness has no place in our lives. All it does is showcase the light. We turn on lights in a dark room for the purpose of making it light. And, even when we turn off the lights to make it dark, why do we do it – to better see some sort of light. The movie theater is dark to better highlight the light on the screen. We limit light pollution and want a it dark at night for what – to better see the light beaming from the stars in the galaxy light years away. So darkness always showcases the light – never the other way around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we have to be aware, because when we allow the light to be dimmed, we can get too used to the darkness. Think of how your eyes need to adjust when you turn the lights off in the house at night to go to bed. Initially everything is pitch black, but after a few minutes your eyes adjust and you can start to make out shapes and see things with enough familiarity to avoid injuring yourself. You get by. You learn to adapt to the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, Christmas can be like that for many of us as Christians. The light shines. We go to church. We celebrate Jesus. But then the light dims after December 25th, and we go back to being in the dark. Our eyes adjust to it again. We get used to it. We even slip into worldly ways with such ease that we don\u2019t even notice how dim it has gradually become again. We live like the rest of the world and rather than letting our light shine, we fit right in with the darkness. And then? Then we wonder why the world seems so dark. It\u2019s because we\u2019ve allowed ourselves to adjust to it once again, instead of letting the light of Christ shine brightly in our lives all year long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what is our solution? We just avoid talking about the darkness altogether. Pretend it doesn\u2019t exist (as if avoiding any problem EVER made it go away!). Or, we manufacture our own light. We focus on positive things. Send good vibes. Think good thoughts. Uplift others. But have you not figured out yet that those solutions don\u2019t really cut it? We can avoid talking about the darkness I mentioned in the beginning. We can avoid talking about the darkness of our own sin, but doing so and thinking we can deal with the darkness by avoiding it doesn\u2019t provide us with any light. And our manufactured light doesn\u2019t do the trick, either. It it did, then all the \u201clove and light\u201d being sent all over the world should see depression and suicide decline, right? But the exact opposite is happening! Our fabricated lights don\u2019t cut it. They aren\u2019t a viable solution. Instead, we look to the ONLY light that shines in the darkness. We look to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See him as Isaiah described: \u201cFor to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace\u201d (v.6)<\/em><\/strong>. Do you still struggle to see the light? Ah, then it can only be because you have yet to embrace his place in your life. For you know that the titles Isaiah applies to Jesus are more than just a list of labels to fill the front of Christmas cards and seasonal art, right? These names reveal to us the qualities of the Savior we celebrate at Christmas! They tell us who he is and what he is capable of and why his birth brought brightness into this dark world!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you will not likely see that light until you match the first part of verse 6 with all the titles in the second part. Isaiah says he was born \u201cto us,\u201d given \u201cto us.\u201d To you and me. That means he is your<\/em> Wonderful Counselor, your<\/em> Mighty God, your<\/em> Everlasting Father, your<\/em> Prince of Peace. If you really want his <\/em>light in your <\/em>life, then make everything that he is yours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See him as your<\/em> Wonderful Counselor. There\u2019s no shame in acknowledging that we can benefit from a counselor, but what do we gain when we have the best Counselor possible and don\u2019t use him? I will say that hands down, you will not find better counsel and advice for your life than in here (Bible). But it\u2019s of no use to you if you don\u2019t know about it, learn it, and then apply it. And the other benefit of having a Counselor? You can talk to him. Anytime. He is always listening. You have emotional struggles? Need to sort through your thoughts? Take them to your Wonderful Counselor and see how his light brightens the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t stop there. See him as your <\/em>Mighty God. What impossible, insurmountable challenge are you facing in life right now? Have you tapped the strength of your Mighty God? He delights in making the impossible possible! In verse four Isaiah referred to the victorious rout God brought against Midian, a battle in which God whittled down his own army from tens of thousands of soldiers to several hundred and still brought about a decisive victory through such an impossibly small group of men! Oh, and there is the matter of making a virgin into a mother, and raising the dead to life, and the list goes on. Do you think this Mighty God may just be able to show his strength in your own life if you can set aside your pride that needs to fix everything yourself and in humility let him be the Mighty God he claims to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t stop there. See him as your <\/em>Everlasting Father. Not everyone has had the blessing of having a compassionate father in their lives, and for some the picture of a father brings up nothing but negative, painful emotions. But Christmas put flesh and blood on another Father, the One who is himself everlasting, and who will love you with an everlasting love. He is a Father who protects and provides and who will never leave us in the dark, assurances which no earthly father could ever give us. He is more than just a <\/em>Father, more than the <\/em>Father; he is your <\/em>Everlasting Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t stop there. See him also as your <\/em>Prince of Peace. In fact, although it\u2019s the last title listed, I would encourage you to start with this one. It\u2019s everything, and it beautifully summarizes why Jesus Christ was born, and why Jesus Christ matters to you. He came to be your Prince of Peace. Let\u2019s consider why this matters. What is the worst possible thing you could ever do at work? What is the most unforgivable wrong you could ever do to your spouse? What is the most devastating thing you could ever do to your kids? Now imagine you\u2019ve done that. More than anything else in the world, what would you crave to hear from the one you have wronged? Would there be anything more impactful than to hear that person say, \u201cIt\u2019s OK. I forgive you\u201d? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s step away from the hypotheticals into reality. That is exactly why Jesus Christ was born into this world – so that he, the Prince of Peace, could assure you that for every worst possible thing you\u2019ve ever done, he says, \u201cIt\u2019s OK. I forgive you.\u201d This, friends, is not wishful thinking. This is not movie magic. This is not hypothetical. This is real – as real as the birth of Jesus Christ. It\u2019s as real as the holy life he lived in your place and credits to you by faith. It\u2019s as real as the death he came to die in your place to pay the price for every single sin. It\u2019s as real as his resurrection from the dead to assure us that our own death isn\u2019t permanent. This is real peace the world simply cannot give, but which the Prince of Peace gives freely to all who believe. He came into this dark mess to bring the radiant light of forgiveness for all. You are at peace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When everything that Jesus is becomes yours, you start to see the light shining. A little bit at first. Then more. Then brighter. Then it happens that the light beams so brightly in your life that you hardly notice the darkness anymore. Oh, it\u2019s still there alright, and always will be until Jesus returns on the Last Day; but you notice it less because you see him more. May he fill your Christmas and your new year – no matter how dark – with his wonderful life-changing light! Take to heart the promise the Christ-child himself spoke later as an adult: \u201cI am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life\u201d (John 8:12).<\/em><\/strong> Merry Christmas!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Isaiah 9:1-7) What. A. Year. The word \u201cdarkness\u201d in our Lesson from Isaiah sums it up pretty well. Novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Pandemic. Historic job loss and unemployment records. Lockdowns. Stay at home orders. Mask mandates. Isolation. Darkness. George Floyd. \u201cI can\u2019t breathe.\u201d Almost 8,000 BLM demonstrations and protests over a three-month period. Rioting and looting.… Continue reading God with Us in the Mess<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[80,65],"tags":[4,82,88,87,5,47],"class_list":["post-677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christmess-series","category-sermons","tag-christmas","tag-christmess","tag-dark","tag-darkness","tag-jesus","tag-light"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p842FN-aV","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=677"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":686,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677\/revisions\/686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/1thingmatters.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}