…Therefore behold, I will again do marvelous things with this people, wonderful and marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hid. — Isaiah 29:9-24
The Lord God knew full well of the sin of his people, as they went through the motions of obedience while their hearts were far from Him. The book of the prophet Isaiah declares God’s judgment upon His wayward people. And yet…
There is always hope and promise! The Lord God announces through the prophet that, in spite of His people, He would again do marvelous things—wonderful and marvelous things—that would confuse the wise and discerning.
What sense has human thought and reason been able to make of the virgin birth of the Son of God, conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit? Wise and discerning men question whether such a thing can be so. People claim that babies can’t be conceived in a virgin. So-called intelligent folks chuckle at what they consider the Christmas “story.”
Can God not do marvelous things? Is God limited by natural biological process? Can God only do ordinary, common-sensical things? Can God raise a person three days dead? We run to the manger, not with reason and rationalizing, but with faith—faith in the God who does marvelous, wonderful things!
Prayer: We give thanks for the miracle of Jesus’ birth, O God, and pray that you give to us, always, eyes of faith. Amen.
Advent Action: List two or three wonderful, marvelous things God has done in your life, and pray a prayer of thanksgiving.
The 2016 Advent Devotional, based on Year I of the LBW and written by Pastor David Wendel, is available for download/printing in two formats and as a daily text/email message.