The Christmas Collective - Part III : The Zeal of the LORD!

"To us a child is born, to us a son is given,

 and the government shall be upon his shoulders.

And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, 

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.  

On the throne of David and over his kingdom, 

to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

 from this time forth and forevermore. 

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this."- Isaiah 9:6-7

This prophetic scripture is often quoted and used at this time of year, at Christmas time.  It is easy to read through this quickly.  We often do. Because some of us have heard it over and over again, it can carry little meaning.

Personally, I can hear Linus saying these words. Ok, maybe he was quoting from Luke 6. I can't recall for sure because we lost our DVD copy. I can hear him saying it anyway.  There's something calm and delightful about that part of the movie which has always warmed my heart.  However...

This year...I am pondering the words more slowly, more deeply and my heart swells with wonder, awe and love.

Dwell here with me. 

Ponder for a few minutes.

As I read, I am drawn to read again and again, while finding great emphasis on different words and sections each time.

Will you try it with me? 

"TO US a child is born, TO us a son is given"

or

"To US a child is born, To US a son is given"

Or

"To us a CHILD is born, to us a SON is given"

Or

"To us a child is BORN, to us a son is GIVEN"

Do you see what I mean?

TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN... 

and it continues!

There is SO much richness in this passage!  I could probably write pages, or several posts, on just these two verses! In fact, I would guess that other writers have written much about them!

We are given a gift like no other, that nothing else can compare to! - Entrusted to this world as a baby!

"The government will be on his shoulders" - not mine. HIS.  - Whew! Thank goodness!

He can't even be called by only one name. These four are just a teaser, an entry, into the vastness that is our God. -  Even each word in each name is amazing.  Wonderful. Counselor. Mighty. God.

Of the increase of HIS government and of HIS PEACE there will be NO END!  - Can I get an Amen?!

It is ESTABLISHED and UPHELD by our great God! So mighty and strong is He!

Today - there is one part of these verses that grabs my heart even more and shakes it vehemently.  I feel like bursting with joy and wonder as I think of Him. 

The ZEAL of the Lord!  

Consider what his ZEAL must be like! POWERFUL!

ZEAL - as defined by Websters'  "eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something"

Can you imagine our omnipotent God - acting with Zeal - to accomplish what he said?!

He didn't just say, "Oh looky there. I made man and now he has messed it all up. I guess I have to do something so he can still be in my Holy presence."

NO! He had a plan!  He knew his creation would not be able to be Holy in his presence without His great act of love, and without His redemption.  Though there is and has been pain and suffering along the way, this just and righteous act of working out His plan of salvation and sanctification ushers us into the most amazing relationship ever. 

With EAGERNESS and ARDENT INTEREST in PURSUIT He will accomplish it! - Again, can I get an AMEN!

He acted with ZEAL to give us the gift of His son - Jesus.

He acted with ZEAL to fulfill the statistically impossible prophecies.

He acted with ZEAL to establish His Kingdom and

He acts with ZEAL to uphold it!

He acts with ZEAL in justice and righteousness.

He acts with ZEAL to bring about salvation and redemption.

He acts with ZEAL to bring us into His presence!

YES! The ZEAL of The Lord of Hosts (ESV) 

Or, The ZEAL of The Lord Almighty (NIV).

He acts with ZEAL to bring about His glorious purposes through the Savior, through the baby Jesus.  The baby who lived a perfect life, and who later died as payment for OUR sins, but was resurrected!  This baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas!  This is powerful stuff! 

   Go ahead! Get up. do a dance, a little jig!  Smile! 

Jump up and shout praises!

I dare you!  I'll do it to! (Probably when no one is looking.)

In fact, I NEED to do it.

Can you imagine it?  REALLY?

Whatever you can imagine, multiply it!

In fact - how about reading Priscilla Shirer's monologue of WHO HE IS - out loud. 

VERY LOUDLY?!?  Would you? Could you?

Who is He and Whose are You? (Scroll down)

Isaiah 9:7 also tells us this will continue "from this time forth and forevermore."  It's not going to stop!  He will continue to act with ZEAL to accomplish the work He has put in place.

LORD - You are ZEALOUS in your pursuit to accomplish what you desire.  What you have begun, what you have planned, you WILL complete!

At times I have felt that God was powerful and mighty to move, in fact, to act with ZEAL...in other people's lives.

Too often, I have doubted that he would move mightily in my own.  The enemy wants me to doubt, to fear and to cower in a corner, and to refrain from requesting the Lord's help. His Word tells me...

Be not dismayed! The Lord is with you!

"you whom I took from the ends of the earth,

and called from its farthest corners,

saying to you, "You are my servant,

I have chosen you and not cast you off";

fear not, for I am with you; 

be not dismayed, for I am your God; 

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

- Isaiah 41:9-10

Our Father is zealous in His work.  He HAS and He WILL accomplish what He sets forth to do!

When the enemy starts whispering lies and tempting you away from honoring the Lord, turn away and seek the Lord.

Be reminded, as I too remind myself, He IS working in your life.

He has worked with Zeal to bring about the redemptive work of Christ. He will work with ZEAL to do what He says He will do, and what will bring about His purposes forevermore.

May we rejoice in His Zeal as we celebrate the birth of Christ.

Other posts in The Christmas Collective series...

• Ushering in Something New
• Confessions of a Collector
• The Christmas Collective
• The Christmas Collective - Part II: Tradition!
• coming soon....The Christmas Collective - Part IV: Redemption

He lifts my head...I hold His hand

The lyrics of Meredith Andrews song resonate in my head.

Lift up your head

And throw off every chain

Lift up your eyes

To the One who doesn't change

Lift up your hands

The broken he will mend

So lift up your head

My hands had been lifted - time and time again -in praise, in thanks, in joy, in worship and in the storms.  I love to lift them up to my Lord.  But - after many storms, my hands were growing more and more weary.  He was speaking to me all the while.

     I could not throw off the chains.  - I can 

          I'd lift my eyes up and they would become cast down again. - I am watching you
 
               I cried at his feet. -  I will wipe away your tears

                    My hands covered my eyes. Tears rolled. I was desperate. - I AM

                         I was right where He wanted me to be...
                                       - You are here with Me

In the days prior to leaving, I could barely get out of bed. Packing seemed far off and something I couldn't even do in my thoughts. Everything within me felt weighed down by the chain around me.  It is one that I have worn before.  Maybe you have worn it too? It is truly heavy and it is often made link by link.

Guilt - Condemnation - Failure - Fear - Despair

All lies - I knew they were lies, yet the accuser kept whispering them to me.  The more I fought, the more deceptive and subtle the enemy became.  I started to listen more and as I did my resolve and my hope dwindled considerably.  The voice of God was becoming quieter and farther off.  I hated this. Knowing what I know and believing as I do, the feeling of darkness covering me made it easy to feel even worse. I should be rejoicing in the LORD! ...like I used to do.

Even so, He was there with me in the pain and the sadness and the darkness.  He kept reminding me so much of Him through His word, through prayer and through beautiful songs of praise and worship.

He said things to me over and over again.  I have not left you. I have not forsaken you. He kept telling me not to fear.

"It is the LORD who goes before you.
He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you.
Do not fear or be dismayed."
- Deuteronomy 31:8

He reminded me - Keep your eyes fixed on me.

That song again, (Meredith Andrews)

Let us all fix our gaze

On the Author of our faith

From all else we turn away

For the joy that conquers shame

Joy?  Where had it gone? It was something longed for, but something just out of reach.

Then He did as He often does. Morning came and the Lord provided the mercies I needed for the new day.  He had made it clear that he wanted me to go. I needed to go. My trust was solely on Him.  It had to be.

So, I packed and I went.  

Day One meant heading straight into a place where memories would flood in and it meant facing painful circumstances.  He gave me the strength I needed for that day, and for each moment as they came. 

Towards the end of Day One, my Father gave me a gift.  The gift of an unexpected conversation. The gift of being the one to offer forgiveness when I did not know forgiveness was even sought. What a joyous gift it was!

When I first saw her, well over a year ago, I thought we could be friends.  I sought her eyes and hoped to meet, but our eyes never met and I shrugged it off.  At that time, I had a strong need and desire for new friends.  It was during the largest step of faith I had ever taken where I was plunged into a new community and unfamiliar territory.  I often felt alone.

Yet, during this time, the Lord helped me to take every moment, every need and every situation, to Him....and release it.  For the most part, releasing my worries and concerns in this particular journey was pretty easy. This alone was a miracle.  Let go? REALLY trust? Yeah - that wasn't how I operated most of the time. 

God has graciously given me many blessings through surrendered faith. Even so, every moment, large and small, left its imprint on my heart.  After many months, those imprints began to meld together and the enemy used these and other painful wounds as well as the whispers of  his lies to wear me down in every way possible.

When she came to me, and asked me to sit down with her, I was surprised. It was the first time we had spoken. For me, her imprint was small, quite small, considering the many, many other imprints over this journey.  Yet - her presence, her love, her humility and her heart-felt conversation with me that night - was large. Quite large.  

Often, my heart hurts greatly when I see or feel someone dishonoring God.  In the same way, when I see someone show great honor and love I am deeply moved and exhilarated.   Seeing a precious and beautiful daughter of our King, my sister-in-Christ, moved to tears and humbly asking for forgiveness gave me great, great joy.  Not because I felt it was needed or ever expected it, but because she is so precious in God's eyes and her act was so pleasing to Him that I couldn't help but rejoice!  What a gift!

So - in 24 hours - I had gone from a desperately low place in my spirit to a place of awe and wonder.  Yay God! Thank you!  In addition, I began to feel loved more deeply through her act, and through the brilliant smiles of a few friends I hadn't seen in several months.  Day One began a journey of healing.

Days Two, Three and Four were filled with more love and more large movements in my heart.  By trusting a dear friend, I agreed to attend a "Walk to Emmaus" event.  God would use this time to draw me oh so close in His embrace. Through this event, the people that were involved and the activities I participated in, God brought about a beautiful caressing and nurturing to my heart.

On Day Three the Lord began to give me beautiful images to revel in as He spoke to me of His love and His fellowship and His Fatherhood.

I pondered the story of Emmaus as recorded in the book of Luke.  As Cleopas and "the other" walked along the road to Emmaus with Jesus, they did not know that the one who joined them on their journey was the very one they longed for.   Luke 24:26 says "But their eyes were kept from recognizing him".

How often we do not see the one who is there with us?  Sometimes it is because we are not looking, but at other times we want so much to see Him, feel Him, be near to Him and yet our eyes are kept from really seeing how close He is.  Perhaps, sometimes when we do not see how near He is, there is a great purpose in the revealing moments and in the story of not seeing? Perhaps, our seeing Him more clearly is all part of His plan and is fully within His control and timing, to bring about His glory and His purposes?

I pictured an image of walking along a dusty road, alone.  Then, I saw Jesus there.  I stopped walking and looked into his eyes.  He spoke to me and reminded me of who He is and gave me a glimpse of understanding that His purposes were being carried out through the journey.  Then, I held his hand and we walked together.  I could not see ahead of me on the path, but He was with me.

He was there all the time. - I will never leave you or forsake you.  

That evening another beautiful picture came to mind.  Through an act of love, and a small thing, I was given a beautiful, heart wrenching image.  In this picture, God reminded me of His Fatherly love for me.  I began to really feel like a daughter to the most precious and amazing Father ever.  I heard him say,   I have so much more to show you and to give to you. I love you tenderly dear daughter.  Keep walking with me. I will reveal more to you.

In my heart, I really felt as if I had fallen into the arms of love and had been released of the heavy chains.  He reached for my hand and I was able to lift my eyes again with hope and expectation to the future of what He wants to show me and where He wants to take me.

By the end of Day Four, I sang. 

A bit of caution here...those who know me know....I...do...not...sing.

Well, that is, unless it is in front of an audience and really embarrassing...like at my wedding.  Or perhaps as a backup singer with the man who would become the next CEO of Dell Computers to a large room full of executives and Mr. Dell himself....or, as I did this evening, to a room full of women I am only beginning to know...dressed in black...to the tunes of Johnny Cash. Yep- sure did. I was excited too, despite fears, insecurities and only a few days before having been in an emotional place where I didn't want to be around anyone. ANYone.

Honestly, I am not one who jumps at the chance for the microphone! Yet, when it comes to my great God, something happens.  Sometimes the spirit's prompting is just too clear and sometimes I just do things He asks me to do.  Later I think, "I did what?!?"  You see, fears that hold us back from doing what God wants us to do can not occupy the frontal place of our mind when trust is put in Him and His Spirit takes over.

This four day journey came to a close and God had chosen to use it as the means to bring about healing and renewal in my spirit.  In the days prior to obediently going when and where God was leading me, I could hardly make it out of bed.  During the journey, he lifted my head and broke off the chains of the enemy.  Going forward, I walk on the dusty path holding His hand.

My arms will quite likely get tired again, but His hand will still be holding mine.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power of work within us,to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." - Ephesians 3:20,21 (emphasis mine)

WHO is HE and WHOSE are you?

2013 REVISION:

When God leads you to His word, He may use different means.  At times he calls me to lead something, like a Bible Study, instead of just studying on my own or even joining a group This happened when he brought me to the study Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed which includes teachings from Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore & Kay Arthur. I was blessed to share this study with other mom's in the first study, then later with more women and eventually with two teen foster girls who ended up giving their life to Christ. - Yay God!

There are several part of this whole study that ministered greatly to me, however, there was a part of the first session that was especially moving and inspiring.  Years later, it still resonates powerfully in my soul as I return to it.

Here, Priscilla Shirer talked about the anointing of God that David had in his life.  She shared how all of us who believe and trust in the Lord have the Holy Spirit, with the power of God, residing in us.
Through the Holy Spirit we are empowered to do His will in our lives and to stand against the enemy.

At one point Priscilla goes on a long and powerful exposition of who God is and who we are as a child of His. He is the one deserving of all my praise and the one constant who can help me me in all situations. Below are the words she stated so powerfully.  I read this again and again, even out loud!

May you too may be reminded, blessed and encouraged in Who He is and Whose you are!

He Is…..
The First and the Last
The Beginning and the end
The keeper of creation
The creator of all
He’s the architect of the universe
And the manager of all time

He always was, always is and always will be.
Unmoved, unchanged, undefeated and never undone

He was bruised but brought healing,
He was pierced but eased pain,
He was persecuted but brought freedom
He was dead and brings life
He is risen to bring power
And he reigns to bring peace

The world can’t understand Him
Armies can’t defeat Him
Schools can’t explain Him
And leaders they can’t ignore Him

Harold couldn’t kill Him
Nero couldn’t crush Him
The new age can not replace Him
And Oprah can not explain Him away

He IS Life,
HE IS Love,
HE IS Longevity and He IS The LORD
HE IS Goodness, kindness, faithfulness

And HE IS GOD
HE IS holy and righteous
and powerful and pure

His ways are right,
His word eternal
His will unchanging
And His mind is on us

He is our savior, our guide,
Our peace, our joy, our comfort
Our Lord and He rules our lives,

I serve Him because His bond is love
His yoke is easy His burden is light
And His goal for us is abundant life.

I follow Him because,
He Is the wisdom of the wise
The power of the powerful
The ancient of days, the ruler of rulers,
The leader of all leaders,
His goal is a relationship with me

He will never leave you, never forsake you
Never mislead you, never forget you,
Never overlook you and
Never cancel your appointment is His appointment book.

When you fall He’ll lift you up,
When you fail He will forgive you.
When you’re weak He’s strong,
When you’re lost He’s your way
When you’re afraid He is your courage,
When you stumble He will steady you,
When you’re hurt He Is going to heal you,
When you’re broken He will mend you,
When you’re blind He will lead you,
When you’re hungry He will feed you,
When you face trials He Is with you,
When I face persecution He shields me,
When I face problems He will comfort me,
When I face loss He will provide for me,

And when we face death
He will carry us all home to meet Him.

He is everything for everybody,
everywhere ,every time,
And in every way.

He is your God

and that sister’s is who you belong to.