Devotion - Wednesday, December 5

The words from the book of Isaiah inform so much of our Christmas story.  This Sunday's Gospel Lesson consists of verses from Isaiah, spoken in reference to John the Baptist.  Isaiah will return to prominence when we hear the words, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman^* is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel"

The words of Isaiah are front and center during this time of great anticipation and expectation.

How wonderful it would be if the Isaiah verses appointed for today were embraced with equal zeal.

Today's verses are Isaiah 2:1-4.  Read them.  Read them several times.  Meditate on them.  And keep them in your heart as you catch glimpses of TV News.  In a world that is torn apart  by war; in a world where we turn to war as a way to solve differences; in a world where we believe that violence (and here I would include violence sanctioned by a nation or country) can somehow stop violence - in such a world the words of Isaiah 2 need to be repeated, shouted, and applied to our lives.

When the house of the Lord is lifted up as the highest of the mountains, then our spears will become plowshares and our swords pruning hooks.

Here are those verses from Isaiah:

In days to come
   the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
   Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more.