Thursday, December 15, 2022
Rev. Sela E. Finau
The Joy of God as Our Salvation
Scripture: Isaiah 12 (NRSV) You will say on that day: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, and you comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say on that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Devotion: This message and proclamation of Isaiah were written over 2700 years ago. It still rings true today when we put our faith, hope, and trust in God, who can bring us through any wilderness, and desert places. God is our might and our strength. The prophet emphasizes that when we find this Joy with God as our Salvation, we should give thanks, tell others, and share the glorious things God has done for us.
Sure, we can focus on what God didn’t do for us, but where would we be if God had not done mighty things for us? Where would we be without God? In life, we always have a choice on where to place our focus, our losses or gains, the negatives or the positives. Of course, life lessons can be learned and gleaned from our life experiences, but it is up to us how we deal with them. It is up to us how we allow it to influence us.
As we move a little closer to Bethlehem and the manger, discover the Joy that is already present in our lives and tell others about it. Discover the Joy in knowing that God is our Salvation.
Prayer: Dear God, We thank you for the gift of our Salvation, born to us on Christmas Day. Amen.
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