Jeremiah 33:14-15 I Believe!

Isaiah 11:1–5

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD…

I believe in the goodness of God and His plans for creation. I believe in Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life so that we could live. I  believe in Holy Spirit who will guide us and change us, precept by precept, into the character of His Son. 

Jeremiah 33:14-15

‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:

15‘In those days and at that time

I will cause to grow up to David

A Branch of righteousness;

He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 

I believe Jesus will come again in glory! Carla

These verses closely parallel 23:5, 6, which has as its focus the royal leadership of the nation, the combined restored Israel and Judah.  God would raise up a messianic king of Davidic lineage who would rule according to the divine ideal, with judgment, meaning justice, and righteousness. Following the devastation of the Babylonian onslaught, Jerusalem would exist under divine protection. 

The NKJV Study Bible

Jeremiah frequently uses “A Branch of Righteousness” (15 times) to indicate future judgment as well as future restoration. It is a metaphor for the Messiah. Justice and righteousness are ideals that Zedekiah neglected. Yahweh is our righteousness. Faithlife Study Bible.

Jeremiah 23:5–6

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD,

“That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness;

A King shall reign and prosper,

And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

In His days Judah will be saved,

And Israel will dwell safely;

Now this is His name by which He will be called:THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Isaiah 4:2

In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for  those of Israel who have escaped.

Psalm 72:1–5

Give the king Your judgments, O God,

And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.

He will judge Your people with righteousness,

And Your poor with justice…

…today I let go of my agenda.

And I rested. I experienced Sabbath. And I felt nourished by gratitude.

And here's the very best part; I didn't even try to figure out how it happened.

I don't have any great tools to give you. Except this one: Meister Eckert's advice, "If you can only learn one prayer, make it this one: Thank you."

Not a bad place to start.

Gratitude for stories that make my heart glad and keep it soft.

Gratitude allowing me to live this life, and not the one I always figure that I'll trade this one in for.

Gratitude allowing me to partake in the joys of the everyday, to see the sacred in the very, very ordinary. Sabbath Moments

Today I purpose to live

My life will shine

As the morning sings

I walk in liberty

Bound in true dreams

Manifested promises

Chase my forward motion

A covered path before me

The fruits of my hoping

The fruits of my living

Today I purpose to love

My love will speak

With the sound of grace

Merciful within mercy

The works of my faith

Smiles of overflowing

Inspire my giving

Abundance of joy as rain

The fruits of my living

Michael John Faciane

Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) "... and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

What does peace mean to you this Advent season? The Hebrew word for "peace" in today's key verse, and in many Old Testament scriptures, is "shalom." While this word can describe the absence of conflict or even express greetings in Hebrew, "shalom" most importantly signifies wholeness or completeness. Through this lens, let's look at the "Prince of Peace" whom Isaiah 9:6 foretold.

The prophet Isaiah delivered God's message to His people during a time dominated by ungodly kings, widespread sin, instability, and brokenness (Isaiah 1:1-4). Isaiah spoke of God's judgment upon the people, but he also spoke of a future child who would become a great King and usher in an age of peace. This King's arrival would mean more than just an end to conflict; it would mean the beginning of justice and "righteousness from this time forth and forevermore" (Isaiah 9:7). First5

Proverbs 4:23-27 We set our hearts on the ways of Jesus.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

If your heart is set on Jesus your path will be filled with God’s love for His creation. Love covers a multitude of sin.

Proverbs 4:23-27 

Keep your heart with all diligence,

For out of it spring the issues of life.

24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,

And put perverse lips far from you.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,

And your eyelids look right before you.

26 Ponder the path of your feet,

And let all your ways be established.

27 Do not turn to the right or the left;

Remove your foot from evil. 

Jesus has overcome the evil of sin and death in this world we just need to be His hands and feet until His return. Our path is neither to the far right nor to the far left but set right in front of us in the ways of God who loves all of us. Carla

This section demands constancy of heart and purpose, honesty in speech, steadiness of gaze, and a right goal in walk and life. Setting off on the path of wisdom is no casual thing. The NKJV Study Bible

The father encourages his son to keep wisdom by guarding various aspects of his body. His heart should be vigilant (verse 23), his mouth should avoid falsehood (verse 24), and his eyes should be directed forward (verse 25). Finally, he should keep the path of his feet clear and not turn toward evil (verse 26–27).

With all vigilance, keep your heart. Appropriate speech and the state of the heart are closely associated in verses 20–24. Restrained speech is a common theme in Wisdom Literature.

The speech of the wise benefits the speaker and the listener (10:20, 31; 12:18; 15:2, 4; 18:21). The Hebrew phrase used here for a kind of sinful speech literally means “falseness of mouth.” In Proverbs, the mouth reflects a person’s character (15:2, 28).

May the path of your foot be balanced. The Hebrew word used here indicates clearing a way (Isaiah 26:7). Here, the father encourages his son to intentionally remain on the path of wisdom and righteousness (Proverbs 4:11). Faithlife Study Bible

Hebrews 12:13

and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Deuteronomy 5:32–33

“Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

Proverbs 5:21

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD,

And He ponders all his paths.

Proverbs 6:12

A worthless person, a wicked man,

Walks with a perverse mouth;

Storytelling has been used for centuries to heal, teach, and connect communities. Indigenous cultures have long recognized its therapeutic and healing power.

Jesus knew this. And he told stories (parables). Stories that make a difference in our lives and world.

And this I know: In a world where empathy is considered a weakness, and cruelty is palpable, and marginalization takes a toll, we need stories.

We need stories about people who care—about empathy and compassion and forgiveness.

Stories about people who come back for us—and protect (safeguard) presence and inclusion.

Stories about people who see hope, and spill light.

Stories about people who give, even from “empty” pockets. Sabbath Moments

Our God can turn less than nothing into more than we could ever imagine. We  all approach His throne as sinners who have zero qualifications to receive His grace. In fact, we have infinite disqualifications. But His mercy is more.

Jesus was "born king" on the first Christmas (Matthew 2:2), and His holy crown will never slip. His reign of perfect peace will never end.And by faith, He invites us to become "heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him" (James 2:5). First5

Christ in us the hope of glory

 As the monk Thomas Merton once explained of his own urban wilderness:

In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world. . . . 

This sense of liberation from an illusory difference was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud… I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.

Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God’s eyes. If only they could all see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time. There would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed. (from Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander)

1 John 4:17-21 If we love others God abides in us!

1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 

We love because He first loved us! In the manner that we judge others is the measure that we will be judged. God help America. We are not called to judge the world but those who claim to be Christ followers but whose lives do not reflect God’s love for the world. John 3:16-17

1 John  4:17-21 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. 

We are able to love because of God’s love. Let that sink in..this command comes from Jesus  that he who loves God must love his neighbors. Who are our neighbors? Everyone. Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? Who showed God’s love…the hated Samaritan, not the religious right. Carla

God’s love is made perfect, or complete, among believers when they reflect God’s loving character in their lives (1:5–7; 2:1–6, 28; 3:16–20). Love is not an abstract concept for John; it concerns the outworking of the believers’ faith in ordinary interactions with people.

John further explains why believers can be confident of God’s love on the day of judgment. God’s wrath is reserved for those who unrepentantly dishonor others with their apathy. 

While believers may remain confident of their position on the day of judgment, they should also maintain serious reverence for God (Philippians 2:12; 1 Peter  2:17; Revelations 14:7).

God demonstrates this by offering salvation through Jesus.

A  liar describes anyone who claims knowledge of God but fails to carry out His commandment to love fellow Christians and by extension other people in general (1 John 2:4; Matthew 22:39). 

According to John, this person is a liar because it is impossible to love God without also demonstrating love to other believers. Doing so demonstrates an accurate understanding of the love of God (1 John 4:7–11). The believer’s responsibility to show Christ-like sacrificial love to other Christians is not optional; it is commanded by God as a way of displaying His love to the world (2:3–4, 7–8; 3:22–24; 5:2–3). Faithlife Study Bible

The mature expression of perfected love (verse12) produces confidence as a Christian anticipates Jesus’ judgment of the world. A person who abides in love will not be ashamed when Jesus returns (2:28; John 15:9–17).

A mature understanding of God’s love removes any fear of God’s judgment. 

First John as a whole is clearly founded on the doctrine of the Trinity. From evidence throughout Scripture (Matthew 28:19), it is clear that God is both one and three. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are one God, but they are also distinct Persons of the Godhead. Throughout his first epistle, John illustrates how each Person of the Godhead works with and through the others to accomplish God’s plan of salvation for us. The NKJV Study Bible

1 John 2:9–11

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him…

Romans 8:15

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 

1 John 2:4–7

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him…

1 John 3:14–17

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him…

“Because whenever people come together to help either another person or another creature, something has happened, and everyone wants to know about it – because we all want to know that there’s a graciousness at the heart of creation.” Fred Rogers told Tom Junod.

I do love that phrase—“graciousness at the heart of creation”. I know what he means. The beauty of humanity, of doing good when we can, of loving our neighbors, of treating one another openhearted, with dignity and respect, welcoming and reconciling.

Here’s the deal: We easily forget that this graciousness is alive and well in each of us; for as Rogers so frequently pointed out, everybody was a child once.

I wonder why we forget. Why do we give way to our lesser selves—to small-mindedness and intolerance? I know that whenever our words demean, humiliate or shame, we cut off the oxygen of hope.

“The more we bump into the folks who are so-called ‘other,’ the more we are stretched and the more we are pulled out of bias. We have new truths, because we have tangible evidence of the beautiful, powerful creativity of our God who made all of this diversity for us to enjoy.” (Thank you, Jacqui Lewis). “Sabbath Moments”

"Our salvation in the time of trouble" (Isaiah 33:2). The Hebrew word for "salvation" here is yeshuah ... from which comes the name of Jesus Himself. He is our salvation! Isaiah was looking for more than just a pretty view. He was looking for the Messiah. And Isaiah could walk the treacherous path of this life because he had hope that one day his "eyes [would] behold the king in his beauty" (Isaiah 33:17), even if he had to wait until eternity.

In the meantime, facing a violent enemy, Isaiah prayed for God's mighty "arm" to save his people (Isaiah 33:2). He declared in faith, like the writer of Lamentations 3:23, that God's strength and mercies are new "every morning." And today we share this fervent belief that brings hope in dark times. When we are trudging through the treacherous terrain of hardship and weakness, our hope is in waiting, expecting, and searching for our King in His beauty, relying on His mighty arm to save us.

We long for the same King who Isaiah longed for. Our waiting, though, is different because now our King has come, and we await His triumphant return. Jesus is "our salvation in the time of trouble" (Isaiah 33:2), and because of His work, we have access to God's throne.There we "receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). First5