ANDREW'S AFFIRMATION

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Isaiah 51:17-23 In this passage Jerusalem wakes up to the reality of God’s wrath. There is no one to guide Jerusalem; there is no one to take Jerusalem by the hand. Devastation, destruction, famine and sword have befallen Jerusalem. There is no one to comfort Jerusalem. Have you ever come to the awareness that you royally screwed things up? How bad have things ever gotten for you? Who comforted you when it felt that everything that could go wrong in your life did go wrong? Do you believe in an angry God? Why or why not? Do you believe in a jealous God? Why or why not?  Galatians 4:1-11 In this passage we see the themes: heirs, slaves, grace, and law. We are heirs to the Kingdom of God but what good is being an heir if we are still minors under the authority of someone else. That someone else is the authority of the world. The argument is made that although we are heirs, we are but slaves if we permit the elemental spirits of the world to en...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Isaiah 49:13-23 In this passage, the Lord is praised for comforting his people but the question remains as to why they needed to suffer in the first place. Because of their captivity in Babylon, Zion wonders “Does God really care about us?” Zion feels forsaken and forgotten by God. To this feeling of abandonment, God responds by reaffirming his commitment to Zion. Just as a loving mother would never forget her nursing child, or fail to show compassion for the child of her womb, God  would never forget Zion. It is interesting to note that just as Zion was inscribed on the palms of God’s hands, our sins are imprinted on the nail-pierced hands of Christ crucified. A word of hope is given as God assures Zion that those who are committed to building up Zion outdo those who seek to destroy Zion. The suffering which appears ugly to Zion now will become like a beautiful ornament when everything is said and done. With God’s help, Zion will give birt...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Isaiah 45:18-25 In this passage the Lord declares His greatness and the foolishness of idolatry. “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” There are no secrets here. The Lord speaks the truth that those who carry around a wooden idol pray to a god that cannot save. Therefore turn to God and be saved for the day is coming when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that only in the Lord are righteousness and strength. Anyone who opposes the Lord will be put to shame. Those who confide in the Lord will triumph. What secret idols consume your time and energy? How much time do you typically spend reading the Bible on a daily basis? Where in your daily schedule can you find more time to spend studying God’s word? Do you have joy in your life? Why or why not? Are you at peace? Why or why not? Do you believe that there will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that only in the Lord are righteousness and strength? Wh...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Isaiah 48:12-21 In this passage the Lord declares his eternal power: “I am He; I am the first, and I am the last. My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they stand at attention.” It was no secret - Israel was in the midst of a spiritual warfare (Babylon / Chaldeans). God was Israel’s general. He had trained Israel for battle and provided Israel a strategic battle plan. If Israel obeyed God’s commands, then Israel would be victorious. God exhorts Israel to go forward in faith and even inspires them to joyfully declare victory in advance. How do you see God’s power reflected in creation? When God summoned them, heaven and earth stood at attention. What implication does this have for your life? In what way has God taught you about life and trained you for the battles you have faced? What is God commanding you to do today? How willing are you to obey God’s command? Describe a time whe...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Isaiah 48:1-11 This passage offers both chastening and mercy for Judah. The Lord clearly sees the hard hearts of His people - the hypocrisy of Judah. God identifies His people as the ‘house of Jacob’ - the name Jacob essentially means “deceiver, cheater”. God makes the argument that, while these people might refer to themselves as “Israel” (which means ‘governed by God’), they do not have the character of  people whose heart is right with God. They are described as being obstinate, their neck like an iron sinew, and their forehead like brass. The saddest part of this situation is that they knew the truth about how awesome and wonderful God was but they chose to follow idols. Yet, in God’s mercy, he deferred his anger and did not destroy them. God’s ultimate desire was to refine them and test them through the furnace of adversity. God is giving them a second chance so that the glory of God might be manifested. What criticism would God make a...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Isaiah 45:5-17 This passage foreshadows the coming of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) through the arrival of King Cyrus the Messiah who conquers Babylon and liberates the Jews from captivity. Just as the nation of Israel looked to Cyrus for their earthly salvation, the world will look to Christ for heavenly salvation. This passage points out that creation itself testifies of God’s saving power. If creation can speak of God’s salvation, then how much more should we declare our redemption. Let us not focus on the problem of our temporal scarcity but rather on the solution of God’s eternal abundance. God who created the deepest oceans and highest mountains out of nothing will surely create abundance out of our scarcity. Just as God raised Cyrus to make a way for his people Israel, God will make all our paths straight. God told Israel, “The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, tall of stature, shall come over to you and be y...

A Reflection on the Daily Office Readings Ezekiel 3:4-11 This passage offers us strength in the midst of our difficult calling to serve the Lord. Ezekiel’s focus on his own people made his ministry harder. Deep down inside, Ezekiel knew that the Gentiles would have been more receptive to his message, even as Nineveh responded to the preaching of Jonah. What we learn here is that God’s ways are not always our ways, his plans are not our plans. Instead of complaining or grumbling to God about not getting what we want, we must receive in our heart and hear with our ears the words that God speaks to us. Only then will we be emboldened to face the struggles of life and transform for the better the communities in which we live. Let us then be very mindful of how the world seeks to influence us, and make sure that we do not stand in opposition to God’s will for our life. How are you currently serving the Lord? What difficulties are you facing while serving the Lord? Where do you get the stren...