Thoughts
In the Darkness – Praise Forever
Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
II Chronicles 7: 14 (KJV)
The times may have been unlike anything we can really appreciate.
A period in which a Messiah had been promised as Isaiah prophesied seven-hundred years before it would occur.
A period of four-hundred years after the prophet Malachi, during which God did not speak through anyone, to any of His children.
It was a period of waiting and darkness unlike anything we can appreciate.
And then the birth of a Child, God’s Son, in a cradle in a dirty stable.
Breaking through the anxiety of a period of hopelessness.
Breaking through with an invasion of Hope.
Breaking through with a Light in the darkness.
A moment of praise. A moment for praise.
A Child, a Light in the darkness—to praise forever.
A Light here to embrace again today.
A Light to penetrate the darkness which overwhelms us in times of disappointment, despair, heartache, returning illness, or unexpected heart-wrenching loss.
A Light which will restore us, as it calls us to humble ourselves, surrender, pray, and seek the face of, turn to, and praise forever the King of Kings.
In the song “King of Kings” by Hillsong, the writers share that Hope of the Light Isaiah prophesied about, which is here for us to embrace and praise in whatever darkness we face—
“In the darkness we were waiting without hope, without light,
‘Til from Heaven You came running, there was mercy in Your eyes,
To fulfill the law and prophets, to a virgin came the Word,
From a throne of endless glory, to a cradle in the dirt.
Praise the Father, praise the Son,
Praise the Spirit, three in One.
God of glory, Majesty.
Praise forever to the King of Kings.
To reveal the kingdom coming, and to reconcile the lost.
To redeem the whole creation, You did not despise the cross.
For even in Your suffering, You saw to the other side.
Knowing this was our salvation, Jesus for our sake You died…
Praise the Father, praise the Son,
Praise the Spirit, three in One.
God of glory, Majesty.
Praise forever to the King of Kings.”
Darkness will seek to overcome us all at times.
When that happens, remember first—
God has forever broken through the darkness of our world with the Light of His Son, born in a stable.
Next, respond boldly and gratefully with this—
Praise forever to the King of Kings!
In His Name–Scott
Be comforted and inspired by this song by Hillsong of “King of Kings” sung by Brooke Ligertwood, in this massive conference.
Also be lifted by the large number of youth and young adults attending the conference—and be encouraged for them, their families, our churches, and our Nation.
Recent Thoughts
Christmas – Where Are We Heading?
Time off from the usual grind and routines. Gifts. Football bowl games. Decorations. Christmas parties. We’re heading toward Christmas and those reasons are all part of the landscape of the season, and in and of themselves, they’re all okay.
But we’re heading toward Christmas—and the birth that changed the whole world and our lives, forever.
A Christmas Note
It will forever be there, right next to me. It’s a note from my younger granddaughter, Ellie.
I move it around a bit so it doesn’t get knocked off the desk area when I’m writing. But never so far away that I can’t always reach it. And it’s always in plain sight so I can read the words she wrote in pencil that day over nine years ago.
Christmas – Magic or Miracle?
The depth and stability of our faith in the difficult times reveals, it would seem, how we view what He did way back then. Was it a sleight of hand or a supernatural act? Was it magic? Or was it truly a miracle?