Dec 17, 2021 Behold Your God – Words of Grace Blog – December 17, 2021
At all times and in all seasons, our greatest need is to behold our God. And maybe like no other time in my lifetime the sense of this need is strong.
Beholding the grace, greatness, glory of God has a profound impact on our lives. This vision of God leads us to humility as we see ourselves in relation to his sovereign power which has no rivals or peers. We are brought to repentance as we become aware of how little we have trusted him and how much we have trusted ourselves. Then, faith, hope and love are renewed as we realize that this great God is our God, that he is for us in Christ, and that he will again show his glory and grace to us.
One of the great chapters in the Bible that calls us to behold our God is Isaiah 40. Amid distress, the prophet Isaiah came to the exiled people of God and declared to them that the way forward is to behold God. Beholding God was the way they would see him for who he is, and hope in his coming to them again in grace and mercy.
I love Isaiah 40. I believe we need the message of Isaiah in our day. So, this Christmas and New Year season we will spend three weeks preaching, praying, and being encouraged and instructed from this chapter of the Bible. This Sunday at Grace we will begin a “Behold Your God” sermon series.
Give yourself a Christmas present and a New Year boost by reading Isaiah 40 every day for the next three weeks. As you make this chapter a place of prayer, I believe you will come to know the Lord more deeply and trust him more completely.
Pray for Grace
Would you join me in praying for our congregation during the holidays? The words of the Gospel of John are still ringing in our ears, and we need the Lord to grant us believing and receiving hearts. Many people will be traveling, and we need the Lord’s mercy and protection. People are often tempted and tested by trials during the holidays. And we have opportunities to serve others in this season. Let’s commit ourselves to seek the Lord in prayer, asking that he may be glorified in our church.
Grateful for You
One evening last week I stood in my kitchen, reflecting on the meetings, conversations, and sermon preparation of the day. I was also reading a few Christmas cards that came in the day’s mail. At that moment I was filled with a deep sense of gratitude for you, the congregation that has nurtured my soul and encouraged my faith for almost three decades. I felt honored to be one among you serving Christ and a congregation called by his grace.
Thank you for being Grace Community Church.
This is the final Words of Grace for 2021. If the Lord wills, I will resume the Friday pre-sermon posts from the Gospel of John in January.
-Scott