A Voice in the Wilderness

 Not as the world gives. Christ had already spent decades healing, teaching, and working other miracles. He was about to leave and come back, but while we read "soon," He meant "suddenly." But Jesus also knew, times might get hard.Which is why He gave the Spirit as a comforter, and those who trust in the Lord recieve peace beyond understanding. Which means we really can "Let not your hearts be troubled." If you enjoyed that, check out my website, vwilderness.Substack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 Being the bit in between the Nativity and His baptism, this passage seemed appropriate. It helps us to appreciate that Christ is fully God and fully man, tempted as we are, yet without sin. Which is what made Him the perfect sacrifce, and also the perfect comforter. Becase, whatever you're going through, He gets it. And whatever you've done, He'll forgive it. Thanks be to God. If you enoyed that, check out my website, vwiderness.substack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 This passage actually speaks of John the Baptist. But it's included both to confirm the prophecy about Elijah, as well as to show how Christ Jesus' birth was surrounded by miracles and wonders. Which is why I share it now. Take a moment to think about just how awesome the Gospel really is. And then, let it register that the story includes you! If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, vwilderness.substack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 Our God is truly above all else, and gorified forever. But here's the thing. David was writing long before Christ, and before the present covenant. Jesus was sent to atone for our sins, but also to walk among us. As He said, those who have seen me have seen the Father. God doesn't change, but has always been found by any seeking. Still, in Christ Jesus, the search is much easier. Which brings us that much closer, and brings him that much more glory, and honor, and power, forever. And if you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, vwilderness.substack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 This whole chapter speaks of the arrival of Jesus, roughly 700 years before His birth. The prophet Isaiah talks about joy and blessing all through it, of reunion and comfort, and He wraps things up with a promise of strength and redemption. The thing is, while Isaiah was writing long before it happened, the true meaing of  Christmas is God doing all this for us! If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, vwilderness.substack.com  And then tell your friends!

 We would all be better off if we remembered this more often. As the creed says, "He made all things for us men, and our salvation." Under grace, we're allowed to do whatever we want! Just be careful, because not everything is good for us. Like, juggling chainsaws, or playing in traffic. Some things are simply bad ideas. Fortunatey, The Holy Spirit is our perfect helper and guide. If we stick with Him, everything will be fine. If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, vwilderness.substack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 Easy stuff right? Except, anybody who's tried it  knows better. Of course, He goes on to specify, "With every part of you." (prphrs.) Which does make it a bit more intense. But while the trials and hardships are very real, so is the "everlasting joy." and "peace beyond understanding." So, take heart! Our Lord has overcome the world. If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, vwilderness.substack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 Once again, we are reminded of God's faithful goodness. We were made fickle, and even having seen, we forget. But part of that goodness is patience. He never forgets us. And as we do all we can by His grace instead of our ability, we see Him more and more, until we reach a world without end, and without pain. And Jesus helps us get there, day by day. If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack,  vwilderness.subtack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 What a great comfort! Here, David makes a decleration. It's done this way not to remind God, but rather to firstly remind the poet, as well as informing those who listen. And it's survived the years to keep doing exactly that, since we forget. When things go wrong, and we suffer loss, we're often poweress. But we can find rest in the Savior,  who's victorious for eternity. If you liked that, check out my Substack, at  vwilderness.substack.com  And then, tell your friends!

 They say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and He has stored up understanding. God doesn't just know everything, He wants to share. Like in the same way that we learn something amazing and wanna tell somone, that's because we take after our Father. And yeah, there's stuff that it's better we don't know. But if we listen, "Nothing is hidden that won't be revealed." If you liked that, check out my Substack. vwilderness.substack.com  And then, tell your friends! 

 I know I talk about the goodness of God. And the way He's got a plan for everything. But even knowing that, it can be very easy to forget. Which is why this matters! If we take even just two seconds and say "Thank you." no matter what, we will begin to notice specific things to be grateful for all over. And that will, over time, fill us with joy and gratitude in every part of life. If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, @voiceinthewilderness1. And then, tell your friends!

 This is a huge statement. But it could use some explaining. See, human love might fill us with concerns. If we love others, we probably fear for them, and others may well have similar concerns about us. But God has all power, and He knows how events play out, which means He can love us perfectly. And if we would just accept that He loved us enough to first die, and then eliminate death for our sakes, then there's nothing to worry about. Not now, and not ever. If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, @voiceinthewilderness1. And then, tell your friends!

 Spoiler alert! But seriously. Anxiety exists because humans don't know how stuff ends. Sporting events, elections, careers. It's an awful lot of unknowns. Still, He lines up everything for the good of those who love and obey Him. Which another passage describes as "Perfect Peace." It doesn't get any better than that.  If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, @voiceinthewilderness1. And then, tell  your friends!

 At this point, Israel was full of idolatry and other sins. Which God couldn't ignore, although He still loved them. Just like, as He waits for us to see the error of our ways, sometimes things get much worse before they get better. But take heart! He has overcome the world. If you enjoyed that, check out my Substack, @voiceinthewilderness1. And then, tell your friends!

 Or really, anything else can seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." I admit, I shortened Paul's poetry a bit. Feel free to read the full text. But I feel the meaning is not just one of the most encouraging scriptures, it's our very real hope! The idea that nothing could stop His love is a beautiful setiment, but not everything works out. Still, even then, He loves us, and gives Himself for us. Making us more than conqerors. If you liked that, check out my Substack, @voiceinthewilderness1. And then, tell your friends!