Recently someone asked me how my faith had been shaped by my nearly 30 years of teaching at a Christian high school. It was a great question which prompted me to spend some time in reflection.
What came to mind in response is a growing awareness of God’s plan for the world as we see it work out in Scripture. The verse from Isaiah 9 is the second part of a popular Messianic prophecy that often gets read at Christmas time as it predicts a child being born who would one day rule on David’s throne. That's what I’m talking about, that God through the prophets alluded to or gave clear references to the working out of his salvation plan through Jesus.
The more I understood that fact, the more the Bible, especially the Old Testament, came alive. I have truly begun to see Jesus on nearly every page of God’s Word. But it’s much more than that. It is a recognition that right from the beginning of time God had a plan to rescue humanity from themselves through his own son, Jesus.
The last line of Isaiah 9:7 speaks to God’s zeal or strong desire to accomplish his plan. We are never an afterthought to him, nor is one single person who lives today or who has lived in the past. It has always been his plan to provide an opportunity for all people to find new life in Jesus. This is what God longs for!
So, what is your response to his salvation invitation? Have you acknowledged your own sin before God and asked for his forgiveness? Have you recognized that Jesus has provided a way for you to be reconciled to God through his death on the cross and resurrection? God not only has a plan for the world; he has a plan for your life.
God, I thank you that right from the creation of the universe it was your desire to have a relationship with people who believe in you and your eternal plan of salvation. Fill me with a desire to tell others about it as your Spirit prompts me.
Throughout This Day: Thank God for his Word and for showing you how to follow him.