Word for Today

From Luke 1:

⁷⁸In the tender compassion ^| of our God

the dawn from on high shall ^| break upon us,

⁷⁹to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shad- ^| ow of death,

and to guide our feet into the ^| way of peace.  

Sometimes it's good to pay attention to VERBS. "Break upon", "Shine," "Guide."

This is what the Dawn from On High is going to do to us, and I would say, through us. There is something quite powerful about living with expectation. These few verses are all about expectation. About hope.

The Christian faith has a wonderful way of talking about God. God is not cold and distant. At the end of the day God is not even angry. God is compassionate and loving. Since that's true, God must know fully and deeply the particulars of our selves. We might want to keep ourselves at a distance, shy or ashamed, but in the tender compassion of God, we need not live in fear.

When the dawn from on high breaks upon us, he will not wait for our permission, or for us to be ready. He will come in such an innocent and even powerless way that we are drawn to him, to the Christ-Child, and by being drawn to him, the dawn from on high, we will be changed. We will be able to walk in the way of peace. Peace with ourselves, our neighbors, our enemies.

Pastor James Aalgaard

St. Paul Lutheran Church, Ontario Oregon