Hallelujah, We Have a Mighty God
Isaiah 9:6-7 ““For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.””
Imagine receiving a birth announcement that detailed the child’s future resume-
Welcome Johnny Jr, our little bundle of joy!
He’ll be the joy of his parents and teachers.
Johnny will most certainly be voted most likely to succeed and will excel in the classroom and on the football field.
He’ll be salutatorian and even graduate a year early.
He’ll earn a generous scholarship to university where he’ll participate in the pep band and will spend spring break volunteering with refugee ministries. John will graduate with honors and then go on to law school. He will be admired and respected by his family, his church and his coworkers…
A birth announcement like that would seem odd, premature at best, but more likely pretentious and very presumptuous.
But centuries before Jesus was born, his birth announcement told us exactly who He would be and what He would do.
He will be called-
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
And He will Lead like no other-
The greatness of his government and peace will have no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
These days, we are so accustomed to hearing news of saber-rattling and watching world leaders vying for position and power. But this leader, our Mighty God, will outrank and outshine them all. He is the ultimate world leader and His power and authority will be unmatched. Under His reign we will know true justice, righteousness and peace. Can you imagine? And centuries before He was born, God shared the good news of this birth announcement that would change the world.
Today, let’s pray that our sons and daughters would have perspective and peace despite the uncertainty of world leaders and fragility of peace.. Rather than being alarmed at what they see happening in the world, pray that they have confidence in our Mighty God and look forward to the day when He will reign forever, unchallenged on David’s throne. Pray that they long for God’s justice and righteousness over the temporary solutions offered by human leaders.
Christmas Season Challenge: Today, take time to listen to the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. Close your eyes and just soak in the truth of the words and the beauty of the music. Then, take a few moments to pray for our political leaders. Yes, pray for them. Pray that their eyes would be opened to the Truth of the Gospel and they would surrender their hearts to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Pray without ceasing.
Mighty God
“The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.” Psalm 50:1-2
“Mighty God”, it’s one of the names given to Jesus in Isaiah 9. But what characterizes our God as a “mighty God”? Just look in scripture and you’ll see vivid descriptions and powerful accounts. Psalm 50 gives us just one example. “He speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.” No other God has the power to do that, to ‘summon the earth”. If that doesn’t ‘wow’ us, Psalm 147:15-18 says “He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.” All creation bows to His authority. He is the Mighty God.
He is a God of miracles both in creation and in the heart and mind of mankind. He parted the Red Sea; He brought water from a rock in the desert. He made the sun stand still and He made a donkey talk. He healed the blind and cured the leper. He can transform the sinner into a saint, the lost into the found and the indifferent into the passionate. He is our Mighty God! Isn’t that amazing and encouraging?
We could all probably write a list of the incredible things we’ve seen God do in our own lives and those that we’ve witnessed in the lives of others. Oh how we want our sons and daughters to be able to testify to the work of God in their lives, don’t we? The book of John uses the word ‘testify’ more than 10 times in regard to Jesus: His deity as the Son of God, the truth and power of His message and the authenticity of His resurrection. John had a passion to spread the truth of the gospel and to help others see, through his testimony, that Jesus was truly the Son of God, come to save the world from their sins. Let’s be intentional to testify to others about our Mighty God so they might know the truth!
Today, let’s pray that as the sun rises, that we’re reminded of the strength, sovereignty and might of our God. Then, let’s pray that our sons and daughters are reminded as well and that they really see and recognize God’s work all around them today. Let’s pray they can and will testify to others about the Presence and Power of their Mighty God.
Then, let’s begin to make a list- a written testimony of God’s work in our lives and on our behalf- a testament to our Mighty God. As parents, we not only want to pray and encourage our sons and daughters, but we want to leave a legacy of faith that can testify long after we’re gone. Why not begin today to record your testimony today?
Christmas Season Challenge- We are 12 days away from Christmas. Choose 12 people and pray for them today that they would be blessed this Christmas season and would recognize those blessings are straight from the Lord, our Mighty God. Jot down the names of those you’re praying for and, if you witness a blessing on them, record it!
Pray without ceasing.