God Heard

Posted on by Betsy

Let’s talk about healing today. I find this can be a tricky subject for some. We see many acts of healing in the Bible done by Jesus in his lifetime and even done by the disciples in his name. The Old Testament contains healing stories as well, as God divinely intervenes in a situation to bring healing to a person or a nation. We are taught from early days to pray for healing, and in the book of James we are instructed to come together as a body of Christ to lay hands, anoint with oil, and ask for healing in the name of Jesus (James 5:14-15).

Televangelists have given healing services a bad name. In an effort to extort money from hopeful believers, they have scammed their viewers and falsely proclaimed that they have some mystical power to heal. I remember watching one such televangelist laying on top of a desk piled high with sealed envelopes (containing money along with the prayer requests) and proclaiming that everyone was healed. The only thing he could actually relieve them of was their dollars.

I have been blessed to participate in legitimate healing services in my church. Following our United Methodist Book of Worship, these services are grounded in Scripture and prayer. God’s intervention is sought as we remember together that only God has the power to heal, and we remember that God hears our every petition.

I think that is the key. God hears. He hears the sincere petitions of his people. He hears the unspoken desires of our hearts. He hears our faith as we gather at an altar to speak to him. He hears our needs as we present them before him. And he always answers.

Psalm 116 ( New International Version)

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.

This beautiful psalm is a reminder that God hears. When we pray for healing and it doesn’t come, sometimes we accuse God of not listening or being absent. But that is not the case, and this is the tricky part of healing: God may give you an answer that you didn’t expect. The answer may even be “no.”.

When I was a very young and very naive young pastor with the ink still wet on my ordination papers, my church conducted a healing service. I remember it like it was yesterday. Many more people came than we had expected, and by the end of the night I was worn out. One of our church members, who had been absent for two years, was wheeled up by her family for the anointing of oil. She had cancer and had been suffering for months. We prayed over her and anointed her with the virgin olive oil someone had brought back from Israel.

She died the next day.

Confused and uncomfortable, I went to the senior pastor for comfort. I thought it was a failure of our efforts that someone had died within 24 hours of our service. He kindly and gently told me that she had indeed been healed, as her pain was now gone and her body was restored in heaven. He reminded me that ultimately we only find complete healing in death and resurrection. I realized then that she was the first person to receive healing from our service, and that understanding has undergirded my faith ever since.

Healing comes in the way God sees fit. It comes at his pleasure. It comes in his time. It comes in ways that are good for us, even when we can’t see it.

12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

This psalm also reminds us that if you have received healing, you are invited to respond with fulfilling your vows, serving God, and offering your thanks. Of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, only one thought to come back and thank him (Luke 17: 11-19). Have you remembered to thank God for all of your blessings?

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
    I serve you just as my mother did;
    you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

If you are struggling today, waiting for an answer that seems to not be coming, have faith. God heard you. God loves you. God responds in his time, so take heart! Your redeemer comes.

Path to Healing (by Fayette Piedmont hospital) by Kathy Schumacher

The Power of Words

Posted on by Betsy

 I have a favorite children’s sermon I like to do that demonstrates the power of words. I hand a child a paper plate and a full tube of toothpaste and ask them to squeeze out every bit of the toothpaste onto the plate. While they are doing this, we talk about good words that build people up and bad words that tear people down. It is always a little scary to ask the kids for examples of bad words, as I am afraid that they might quote a parent right there in the sanctuary, so I try to confine it to playground talk. This backfired on me one time when a child proclaimed that his daddy, who happened to be our Trustee chair, cussed a lot at home. The fellow sheepishly raised his hand and nodded to the congregation as they laughed. Three months later told me he hadn’t cussed in three months. Kids will call you out!!

Then I take the plate of toothpaste and the empty tube and hand it to another child and ask them to put all the toothpaste back in the tube. It confuses them, and often two or three will try until they all realize it can’t be done. It is the same with words. Once they are out, you can’t take them back.   

Our Scripture passage today makes the same point in a less messy way. The simple truth is that words have power. Words can build people up and strengthen relationships, or they can destroy a person’s ambitions, security, self-esteem, and hope. If you have ever been unfairly criticized by a parent, boss, or co-worker, you know the sting of a word said harshly. 

Proverbs 15:1-7 (Common English Bible)

A sensitive answer turns back wrath,
    but an offensive word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity.
3 The Lord’s eyes are everywhere,
    keeping watch on evil and good people.

4 Wholesome speech is a tree of life,
    but dishonest talk breaks the spirit.
5 A fool doesn’t like a father’s instruction,
    but those who heed correction are mature.

6 Great treasure is in the house of the righteous,
    but the gain of the wicked brings trouble.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
    but the hearts of fools have none.

We can appreciate the direct approach these Proverbs take. The short series of contrasts make the point very clearly. Did you have a favorite? I especially like verse 2: “The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge, but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity” (Common English Bible). This can be verified right now by reading people’s comments on Twitter or Facebook. This verse sums up all of the wisdom literature in a concise sentence and is a reminder to us of the importance of seeking wisdom throughout our lives. It also reminds us to stay quiet when we really don’t know what we’re talking about. If only the television pundits would do likewise! We live in an era of misinformation where opinion and agenda are substitutes for factual news and it has left us bereft of the truth.

Fortunately, we who know Jesus know the Truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, Common English Bible). In a world that lacks any conventional or common wisdom, it is imperative that we hold fast to the Truth and teach him to our children. 

As you go about your day, ponder these verses about the power of words. Wholesome speech is indeed a tree of life! (See verse 4.) Are you using your words to build up others, or do you prefer to gossip? Are your words peppered with anger and hurt? Do you need to go and make amends with someone because of something you said?

Words have power. Use them carefully.

Power by Michelle Robertson

Freedom Way

Posted on by Betsy

My travel to the Candler School of Theology for three years of seminary classes took me through some of the worst parts of Atlanta, Georgia. Traffic, multiple stop lights, confusing intersections, and impossible junctions were all part of the commute. I would sit at one particularly long red light every day and watch the progress of a new road being constructed that would eventually cut ten minutes off my ride. It was built adgacent to the Martin Luther King center. The day it opened I sailed along its long pastoral corridor and thought how aptly named it was. It was called “Freedom Parkway.” Its location was a fitting nod to the incredible work King did in his lifetime as he fought for civil rights for all people. A Baptist minister, King was exceptionally endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit to be bold, persuasive, persevering, and effective.

 In our reading today, Stephen was said to have the same power to persuade people about Christ. He was described as one who stood out for his notable wonders and signs and for his exceptional endowment of divine power. Many tried to argue with him in opposition to his theology, including some from the Synagogue of Freedmen. I find it ironic that freedmen resisted the freedom of the Gospel. But according to verse ten, none of them could resist his message. His wisdom wooed even the most ardent detractor, so eventually his fiercest opponents lied about his preaching and brought him up on false charges.

The parallels between King and Stephen really stand out in this passage. King was falsely accused and arrested for proclaiming the truth of God’s unconditional love, mercy, and justice for all people. Both men were bold, and both were persecuted for their faith.

Acts 6: 8-10 (Common English Bible)

8 Stephen, who stood out among the believers for the way God’s grace was at work in his life and for his exceptional endowment with divine power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose from some who belonged to the so-called Synagogue of Former Slaves. Members from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia entered into debate with Stephen.10 However, they couldn’t resist the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

I wonder if I am bold enough.

I wonder if I am persuasive enough.

I wonder if I am effective enough.

How about you? Is your witness powerful enough to be irresistible to those willing to listen and threatening enough to those who oppose the Gospel?

Stephen was full of grace, faith, and power. He also was willing. This is an unbeatable combination. Surely Stephen spent a great deal of time in the presence of God in meditation, study, and prayer. Surely he offered his gift of oratory to the Holy Spirit and yielded his own comfort to the call of being an itinerate preacher. Surely, he was not just willing, but able.

This is a reminder to us today that when we submit to the power of the Holy Spirit, we, too, can be outstanding in our witness. May we seek and know the Spirit’s irresistible power so that others may know Jesus through us and be freed.

Freedom Way by Kathy Schumacher

Authority

Posted on by Betsy

When a United Methodist pastor is ordained, a bishop lays hands on their head and leads the congregation in asking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon that person for the lifework they are about to pursue. The second part involves the bishop commanding the ordinand to “take the authority” of their particular office of deacon, elder, or bishop. Even in the order of the ceremony, the power of the Holy Spirit precedes the church’s or bishop’s authority and is sought first. In the Ordinal’s language we see the always moving and living Spirit being invoked, and we trust the Spirit’s ongoing outpouring on the ordained. Those who are ordained serve as conduits of the Spirit’s moving among the whole people of God as they worship, serve, give, and obey.

Sometimes the “obey” part can be tricky. I once had a crisis of conscience over performing a church member’s wedding. It had become evident to me through the pre-marital counseling that this relationship, which began online, would not be safe for my wealthy bride. I suspected that the groom was a predator. When I addressed this with her, she was quite angry with me and wanted to continue with the wedding. In the end, I told them that I could not do the wedding, obeying the strong suggestions of the Holy Spirit. She left the church in anger, only to return a year later to tell me that a private investigator had discovered that this man had married and divorced six other women he met online and had amassed half of their fortunes. My refusal to do the ceremony bought her enough time to investigate him.

When the Holy Spirit is so strong and convicting, there is truly no choice but to obey. This is what Peter and the apostles knew as they stood in front of the Jerusalem Council and defended their authority to preach in Jesus’ name. The Council attempted to intimidate them and commanded them to stop, but they chose obedience to God rather than these human authorities. It was an act of audacious boldness. We are instructed in the New Testament to submit to authority and obey our rulers, but not when doing so is a direct contradiction of God. 

Acts 5: 27-32

27 The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28 “In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this man’s death.”

29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans!30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God has exalted Jesus to his right side as leader and savior so that he could enable Israel to change its heart and life and to find forgiveness for sins. 32 We are witnesses of such things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The Council objected to Peter and the apostle’s preaching on the basis that they had “filled Jerusalem with their teaching” (verse 28). What an amazing testimony to the power of the Holy Spirit working through their preaching!  If someone accused me of filling my whole town with my teaching, I would be flattered as heck!   

I had the “authority” to do that wedding, but I chose to obey the Holy Spirit instead. May we tune our hearts to the authority of God through the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and find the courage to obey.

Eagle’s Wings in Reflection by Kathy Schumacher

Sound Bites

Posted on by Betsy

 “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” This famous line by President John F. Kennedy is a memorable “bite” from a longer speech that has since been forgotten. Known since the mid-70s as “sound bites,” phrases like this have been used in media, politics, and marketing to get a central idea across in a brief snippet of recorded speech. Sound bites are short, catchy, and memorable, and speech writers and marketing executives strive hard nowadays to construct the perfect sound bite for their clients, knowing that it will be repeated over and over. If you remember a time when phrases like “Where’s the Beef?” and “Just Do It!” dominated the airwaves, you understand the power of the sound bite in marketing.

Sound bites have been around for centuries, when you think about it. What are the Proverbs if not catchy, brief, little snippets of information created to leave a memorable piece of practical wisdom with the reader? Proverbs is a collection of statements offered without much context for the purpose of instruction, understanding, and wisdom. These life lessons were designed to help people mature in their wisdom. Note that wisdom does not equal knowledge here; knowledge is the collection of facts, whereas wisdom is the correct use of what we have learned for daily living.

Proverbs 1:1-7 (Common English Bible)

The proverbs of Solomon, King David’s son, from Israel:
2 Their purpose is to teach wisdom and discipline,
    to help one understand wise sayings.
3 They provide insightful instruction,
    which is righteous, just, and full of integrity.
4 They make the naive mature,
    the young knowledgeable and discreet.

5 The wise hear them and grow in wisdom;
    those with understanding gain guidance.
6 They help one understand proverbs and difficult sayings,
    the words of the wise, and their puzzles.

7 Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord,
    but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Having established what wisdom is, let us consider the origin of wisdom. The writer of this proverb clearly states that God is the beginning of all wisdom. Verse 7 reminds us that “wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Don’t stumble over the word “fear”. We understand this not to mean being terrified or afraid, but rather to be a response of proper, humble reverence that we owe God. Fearing the Lord keeps us in a position of worshipping and respectful awe, which is the best way to be when you are being taught or instructed about life lessons.

Those who seek and receive wisdom are in direct contrast to the fools who despise it. The choice is clear to all of us: will you be wise, or will you be foolish?

Growing in wisdom is a life goal for every follower. Learning never ends! When we study Scripture and allow its tenets to make us knowledgeable and discreet in our youth and mature in our naivety, we become people who can be useful in the building of the kingdom. Insightful instruction is righteous, just, and full of integrity (verse 3).

As we seek to grow closer in our relationship with God, may we choose wisdom over foolishness every day.

Growing in Wisdom by Kathy Schumacher

Good Sense

Posted on by Betsy

The church where I serve as a pastor has a tradition of having the youth group lead worship on a Sunday in May. It is my favorite service of the year. To see teenagers handle the responsibilities of prayers, sermon topics, testimonies, music solos, and the Children’s Sermon is a wonderful thing. They are enthusiastic, sincere, funny, and more engaged on this Sunday than any other. They also come through it with a deeper appreciation of the worship staff’s weekly efforts.

There is always a moment when their youthful wisdom catches me off guard. I love to watch the reaction of the congregation as the “aha” moment spreads through the worshippers. It is a reminder to all of us that the Holy Spirit moves through receptive believers regardless of age.     

Indeed, if you want to learn something new, listen to the little ones during the children’s time. One time I asked the kids what heaven is like and a very sincere three-year-old responded that heaven was a place where you don’t have to worry about going tee-tee in your pants. Preach it, son! Heaven absolutely is a place where you don’t have to worry about anything.

A young man named Elihu made the same argument to Job’s older yet ineffective friends. As they all sat around Job offering useless bits of commentary and advice, this young man respectfully bit his tongue and bided his time until he could no longer stand it and had to speak up. He rightfully said in verse 8 that it is “God’s Spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.” The Spirit of God is ageless and choses to speak when and through whom it chooses, and we are reminded not to judge or put boundaries around the wisdom that might come from an unexpected source. Being open and receptive to the Spirit’s leading is part of being a follower of Jesus.

Job 32:6-10 (The Message)

6-10 This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said:

“I’m a young man,
    and you are all old and experienced.
That’s why I kept quiet
    and held back from joining the discussion.
I kept thinking, ‘Experience will tell.
    The longer you live, the wiser you become.’
But I see I was wrong—it’s God’s Spirit in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.
The experts have no corner on wisdom;
    getting old doesn’t guarantee good sense.
So I’ve decided to speak up. Listen well!
    I’m going to tell you exactly what I think.

This is a challenge to all of us to slow down and incline an ear toward the younger people around us. Children especially will speak the truth without filters and their raw insights can help us to see God’s presence in unusual places. As adults, we are often too busy and focused on our issues to appreciate what is going on in a child’s mind, and we may miss the beauty and young wisdom that God offers through their eyes.

Ponder this as you go about your day today. Is there a young person in your life who deserves more of your attention? Is the Almighty’s breath working in an unexpected way through someone or something?      Our ageless Holy Spirit seeks to connect with us in any way it chooses. We would do well to listen with openness and acceptance.

Train Them Up in the Way They Should Go by Michelle Robertson

Will-fool Ignorance

Posted on by Betsy

What does the phrase “willful ignorance” mean? A quick Google search results in definitions such as “a decision in bad faith to avoid being informed about something,” “the practice of intentional avoidance of facts and empirical evidence,” and “the state of ignoring any sensory input that appears to contradict one’s inner model of reality.” In other words, refusing to see truth.

This is the dilemma in the classic novel “Fahrenheit 451.” The story takes place in a dystopian future where books have been banned by the government because they are “evil” and cause people to think. (Perhaps not as dystopian as the author originally intended…) A fireman named Montag, whose life’s work is to discover and burn books, meets a young woman and begins to question his reality. He steals and reads a book and becomes aware of the world around him. His wife Millicent, whose life is so empty she attempts suicide at the beginning of the story, refuses to read the book, preferring the willful ignorance that is accepted by society. She chooses the “ignorance is bliss” propaganda that has taken over the world.

I couldn’t help but think of this book when I read today’s psalm. Psalm 14 is David’s treatise on the sad state of people who reject the truth of God’s presence. He calls such people “fools” who ignore the plain evidence all around them that proves God’s existence. Creation and human history offer abundant proof of God’s nature, power, and providence, but these profoundly fallen people chose to ignore every empirical piece of truth. They chose their practical atheism with a unwavering rejection of God that causes David to call them “Nabal.” In Hebrew, this word indicates more of a moral assessment rather than an intellectual one. It’s not that they aren’t smart enough to acknowledge God, it is that they simply choose to live as though God doesn’t exist … they choose willful ignorance.

Psalm 14:1-7 (Common English Bible)

Fools say in their hearts, There is no God.
    They are corrupt and do evil things;
    not one of them does anything good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humans
    to see if anyone is wise,
    to see if anyone seeks God,
3         but all of them have turned bad.
        Everyone is corrupt.
        No one does good—
        not even one person!

4 Are they dumb, all these evildoers,
    devouring my people
    like they are eating bread
        but never calling on the Lord?

5 Count on it: they will be in utter panic
    because God is with the righteous generation.
6 You evildoers may humiliate
    the plans of those who suffer,
        but the Lord is their refuge.

7 Let Israel’s salvation come out of Zion!
        When the Lord changes
        his people’s circumstances for the better,
        Jacob will rejoice;
        Israel will celebrate!

But David knew that choosing to ignore God does no good. God is as real as the rising sun and the setting moon. The corrupt life and evil things that fools choose are revealed because truth always prevails.

We who have met the Truth and call him Jesus can rejoice in the ending of David’s psalm. Indeed, Israel’s salvation came from Zion. Christ changed our circumstances for the better and he will come again. 

This reading challenges us to consider if we are also guilty of willful ignorance. Are we ignoring uncomfortable truths about God’s plan for all of humanity? Are we turning away from the call to love the marginalized the way that God loves them? Do we tithe as we should?

 May we read our beloved Word and choose truth. Always.

True As the Rising of the Sun by Michelle Robertson

Life’s Unfair

Posted on by Betsy

Parents of young children eventually have a moment when words from their own parents come flowing out of their mouths and they hear themselves saying, “Life’s unfair.” I heard it a thousand times and I said it a thousand times. The bad referee call, the lead part in the play going to the teacher’s pet, the boy dumping you for the popular girl … life is full of unfair moments. These moments aren’t confined to childhood. If you’ve ever been passed over for a promotion that went to a less qualified employee, been left by a cheating spouse, or suffered any number of inequities in your life, you understand.       

There are deeper causes of unfairness in life that occur as a result of institutional racism, social hierarchy systems, misogyny, ageism, generational prejudices, etc. These underground issues prevent people from operating on an even playing field. Sadly, unfairness is a part of life. How we deal with unjust situations, however, is up to us and is a measure of our relationship with Christ.

This is the subject for our reading today. Peter addressed the servants of masters who were often unfair in their dealings with them. He focused his argument by pointing out that the stripes that Jesus suffered on our behalf bring spiritual and physical healing to all who believe. When Jesus took the sins of the world on his body as he hung on the tree, it was the ultimate “unfair” moment, but his suffering there enabled us to live in righteousness and freedom. This life is indeed unfair, but our complete and final healing will come with our own resurrections, purchased with Christ’s blood on the cross.

1 Peter 2:24-25 (Common English Bible)

4 He carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this so that we might live in righteousness, having nothing to do with sin. By his wounds you were healed. 25 Though you were like straying sheep, you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your lives.

This is an invitation to return to our original conversion moment and redirect our lives under the faithful watch of our Shepherd. Whatever unjust treatment we receive in this life will be equalized in the next. Jesus himself will restore us.

Are you being treated unfairly? Do you crave equity and justice in your life? Are you struggling under a “cruel master”? Take heart. Jesus walked that lonely valley before you and walks it with you today. When the world was unjust to him, he bore that suffering in his body so that you might live in righteousness regardless of your circumstance.

How we respond to life’s challenges is a measure of our relationship with Christ. He endured the treatment he received, knowing his Father was with him.He believed in a future with hope as Jeremiah had promised. Sometimes you have to raise you voice in protest; sometimes you have to just quietly leave. In either case, Jesus believed that we are not alone.

May we have such faith as well.

Some Days You’re the Seagull, Somedays You’re the Pufferfish by Michelle Robertson

Choosing Obedience

Posted on by Betsy

Canine experts know the characteristics of each dog breed, such as personality, temperament, and trainability. I was curious about this after dealing with my very stubborn dog and was surprised to learn that her breed is not among those considered to be difficult. I have come to believe that my yellow lab is a Siberian Husky or Dachshund in disguise, which are the top breeds for being stubborn. Georgia has a mind of her own and she doesn’t mind letting you know that.

In her case, it is a simple lack of desire to be obedient. I know that her high intelligence means she understands when I tell her not to take my shoe out in the backyard in the rain, but her lack of desire to obey me overrides her thinking and I end up with a soggy sneaker.

Aren’t we all like that? Few among us are ignorant of the behavior our Lord expects of us, yet we struggle to comply when something better comes along and tempts us away from God’s will. When the choice between self-denial and self-indulgence is offered, most of us move toward gratification very quickly. We aren’t helpless to comply, but we choose disobedience.

Isaiah 53:7 (Common English Bible)

He was oppressed and tormented,
but didn’t open his mouth.
Like a lamb being brought to slaughter,
like a ewe silent before her shearers,
he didn’t open his mouth.

In our brief, one-verse lesson today, we see a reference about the Suffering Servant being brought to the slaughter like a lamb and not raising her voice in protest. Reading this through our New Testament glasses, we’re reminded of Mark 15:2-5. Jesus stood before Pilate and chose not to respond. Verse 5 states that “Jesus gave no more answers, so that Pilate marveled” (Mark 15:5, Common English Bible).

 Jesus chose.

He was never helpless as he walked toward his beating, sham trial, excruciating crucifixion, and death, but he elected to be obedient to his Father, who had put him on earth for this very purpose. Why? So that you and I might be saved. Never without options, he willingly suffered in place of his sheep so that the sheep might be saved. Jesus chose to be a sacrificial lamb who was in control of everything that happened.

If this isn’t a call to obedience, I don’t know what is. God desires that we submit to the plan, the purpose, and the calling that each one of us has received in the Body of Christ. Sometimes that means saying yes to something so far out of our comfort zone, we can’t imagine God is actually asking us to do that thing. But it is often in those far reaches of callings that we find out who we are while being reminded of Whose we are. The old cliché is true: God often isn’t looking for our ability, but rather our availability. When we are obedient, we become equipped. Are you struggling to obey?

Say yes.

Boat Queen

Read the Description

Posted on by Betsy

Online shopping has taught us to be very careful about reading descriptions. Size, color, texture, weight, and even other people’s reviews are all helpful as we are trying to discern what a product is actually like. If you have ever ordered something without paying attention to the description, this may have been part of the learning curve for you. It was for me! In the beginning of the pandemic, I panic-ordered hand sanitizer from an unfamiliar source and failed to look at the description closely. Where the picture (and the price!!) was indicative of a large bottle that would sit by your kitchen sink for family use, the actual product was a very expensive pocket-sized container. Well, thank goodness I ordered two!

The scriptures are full of descriptions of Jesus. John 3:16 gives the most concise description: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (I did that from memory … the King James Version was all the rage when this kid was in Sunday School. Truth be told, it was the only version we had in Sunday School.)

Reading the description makes us much more aware of the qualities and special aspects of the subject. I don’t think anyone would argue that some of the best descriptions of the Messiah come from the book of Isaiah. This Old Testament prophet had a working knowledge of the suffering servant that was yet to come. His description came with no reviews, as he was describing something that hadn’t happened yet. Unlike the eyewitness accounts of the Gospel writers, Isaiah only had prophetic visions to rely on … and yet he provided some of the most accurate and beautiful language about our Savior.

Isaiah 53:4-6 (Common English Bible)

It was certainly our sickness that he carried,
    and our sufferings that he bore,
    but we thought him afflicted,
    struck down by God and tormented.
5 He was pierced because of our rebellions
    and crushed because of our crimes.
    He bore the punishment that made us whole;
    by his wounds we are healed.
6 Like sheep we had all wandered away,
    each going its own way, but the Lord let fall on him all our crimes.

Isaiah wrote that the coming Messiah would be pierced because of our rebellions. This savior would be crushed because of our sins. He would bear the punishment that made us whole. And praise God, by his wounds we would be healed. And that is exactly what happened on the cross, when our suffering savior took the sin of the world upon himself, allowing us to be free. Even though we had all wandered away, our faithful savior paid for all our crimes.

This is something to ponder today. Who is Jesus to you? If you were to write a description of him, what would you say? How would you describe our Wonderful Counselor? I challenge you to actually write these words down in your Bible somewhere.

And when you’ve finished with your written list, write it again on your heart.

Weathered Star by Michelle Robertson