Five Golden Rings
AM Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14) • PM Psalm 23, 27
Isa 25:1-9 • Rev. 1:9-20 • John 7:53-8:11
“On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, 5 golden rings!” And while we are celebrating from Christmas to New Year’s right now, our readings talk of about fear, being afraid, and tears but also about having our souls revived, being comforted, being strong and waiting.
You might say you are just done with four weeks of waiting through Advent. But when we get right down to it, we never stop waiting until we see God’s Face. The psalmist in Psalm 27 says, “You speak in my heart and say, ‘Seek my face’. Your face, Lord, will I seek.” Even though Advent is over, our waiting isn’t because throughout our lives we seek God’s face in all we do. We try to be strong in our dedication to Him. And our psalmist warns us, “O tarry and await the Lord's pleasure; be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; wait patiently for the Lord.” (Ps27:18)
We are comforted in our lifelong waiting especially when our souls are revived by that feeling of His presence in that amazing sunrise or sunset, in the joy of a child’s laughter, in the quiet of the night or the awakening of the morning. But we do face those times also when we can’t find God. When we feel shaken in fear and are truly afraid and tears flow. The Word of God in our readings reassures us. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?” (Ps 27:1)
Like John of Patmos we are also reassured, “he (God) placed his right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one.” (Rev1:17b)
Feel God’s hand upon you as He gives us the strength and at the same time the comfort to continue in our waiting as we seek His face in everyone we meet and around every corner. Know that “the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces” (Is 25:4).
Let us always remember, “This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Is. 25:9b)
Written by Chris Schaefer
Rejoicing with gladness as I seek His Face.