Advent Devotions: Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Isaiah 44:21-28                                             Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt

Remember these things, O Jacob,
   and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
   O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud,
   and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.

Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it;
   shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
   O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
   and will be glorified in Israel.

Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
   who formed you in the womb:
I am the Lord, who made all things,
   who alone stretched out the heavens,
   who by myself spread out the earth;
who frustrates the omens of liars,
   and makes fools of diviners;
who turns back the wise,
   and makes their knowledge foolish;
who confirms the word of his servant,
   and fulfils the prediction of his messengers;
who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited’,
   and of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,
   and I will raise up their ruins’;
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry—
   I will dry up your rivers’;
who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
   and he shall carry out all my purpose’;
and who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be rebuilt’,
   and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’

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This autumn has seen more than its share of disasters… some of them of human action, many involving multiple deaths.  But, there have also been floods and fires.  All of these events have wreaked havoc on many lives and communities.  Our hearts and voices cry out asking in frustration, fear and fury:  “ How long, O God… help us make sense of all the devastation and unkindness.” 

Then our emotional responses take second place to the need for order from the chaos.  We give hugs; offer prayers; we bring food and water; we offer money, time and personal skills.  And most of all in the name of our God who promises never to forget, we offer our presence and our hope to those whose lives are personally affected. 

Prayer: Merciful God, you promise to never forget us. May our hearts and lives be open to accept your gift of gracious love by loving others every day.  Amen.

Pastor Elaine Berg is a retired ELCA pastor living in Cypress,Texas.  She is a member of Bethany Lutheran Church, Central Bridge, New York and Messiah Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas (She's also Pastor Jen's mom)