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Jennifer Hayes Yates

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Arise and Shine

December 5, 2018 By Jennifer H. Yates Leave a Comment

5 Dec
Arise and Shine

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6, NIV

The prophet Isaiah wrote these words 700 years before the birth of Christ. Yet, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he attributed to Jesus the very qualities that you and I cling to today.

Wonderful Counselor

Jesus is our source of justice, wisdom, guidance, and direction.

“‘Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.'”

Matthew 12:18

Mighty God

Jesus reigns in power and might as our Refuge, Shield, and Strong Tower.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

Ephesians 6:20

Everlasting Father

Jesus brings eternal life and adopts us into the family of God.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

1 John 3:1

Prince of Peace

Jesus came to bring us peace with God.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:2

Do you remember what it was like before you came to know Him?

To be abused and seek your own justice?

To be controlled by unforgiveness because you couldn’t get vengeance?

To be lost and in need of wisdom, unsure of the right path to take?

To be afraid or in need of help and not know where to turn?

To feel vulnerable or weak in the face of circumstances beyond your control?

To lie awake with anxiety because you fear trouble, sickness, or death?

To feel insecure and small because of rejection from others?

To feel helpless and harassed, like a sheep without a Shepherd?

I remember. I remember lying awake at night, troubled deep in my soul, anxious, worried, fearful, and lost.

That’s how so many all around us feel right now. We are surrounded by people who are lost, hurting, in need of help, and they don’t know where to turn. They are living in darkness and can’t see a way out.

The answer is the Babe born in Bethlehem. He came to be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. God wrapped Himself in flesh and came into our world so that we could know Him personally.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, Shine, for Your Light Has Come.

So many live in darkness. But the Light has already come. They don’t have to live in sin, fear, oppression, or darkness. They, too, can know the the peace that only comes from the Prince of Peace. They, too, can find security in the Mighty God. Those lost in darkness can find rest in the arms of the Everlasting Father. And they can find justice and forgiveness at the feet of the Wonderful Counselor.

You see, that promise of God through Isaiah was not only for Israel. The promise was for all who would believe and call on His name.

“…for ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”

Romans 10:13

Why would we keep that to ourselves?

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

1 Peter 2:9

This Christmas, declare His praises and let the story of Jesus bring light to someone in a dark place. Let’s share His story–not just the warm, fuzzy story of mangers and sheep–but the Light that brings hope, healing, forgiveness, and peace to the world.

Arise and shine–for our Light has come.

Want to know more about what it means to have a relationship with God? Get my Bible study, Inside Out and Upside Down: How Intimacy with Jesus Changes Everything.

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Filed Under: Holiday devotions Tagged With: Arise, Bible study, Christian devotional, Christmas devotional, Jennifer H Yates, missions, one thing, quiet time, religion vs. relationship, seeking God, Shine, Your Light Has Come

« How to Be Thankful In ALL Things
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About Jennifer H Yates

About Jennifer H Yates

Hey, friends! I'm Jen--wife, mama, and empty-nester. I love to write, read, and drink coffee, especially with friends.

I've found that many women struggle to find time and focus to grow their relationship with God through studying His Word. I encourage and challenge women with practical strategies and helpful resources for quality study in as little as fifteen minutes a day.

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We all have a place in the Kingdom. ⁠
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We all have a place in the Kingdom. ⁠
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"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel--the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:1-4, NIV).
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Do you know Him? You can. His life, death, and resurrection are historical fact. All so that you could know Him and have eternal life.
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"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee fo
"The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment" (Luke 23:55-56).
Can you imagine the horror these women had witnessed? Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others had followed Jesus and helped support his ministry (Luke 8:3).
Now all their hopes had been crushed as they stood at a distance and witnessed Jesus' agonizing death on the cross (Luke 23:49). His own mother had to stand by helplessly as her son cried out, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46).
As we women often do, they looked for a way to still serve Him, even in His death, by preparing His body for burial. Sometimes, it's the little things.
When our hearts are breaking and we think we can't take another breath, sometimes we need something in our hands--a burial spice, a casserole, a text that says I'm here.
We can't make the hurt go away, but we can channel it into something useful, something hopeful, something comforting.
As they rested on the Sabbath, I'm sure they anticipated the opportunity to see Him one more time, to minister to Him once more with the spices and perfumes they had prepared.
Hearts crushed, hands open.
Grieved but grateful. Resting but ready.
Because if there was anything they knew for sure, it's that Jesus was no ordinary man. And when hearts are turned toward Him, anything can happen.

God never called us to “blind” faith. We may b
God never called us to “blind” faith. We may believe without seeing, but faith is being sure and certain of what we don’t see, not what we don’t know. ⁠
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We, too, have facts on which to base our faith. The Bible is historically accurate and verified. If ever we needed to know what we believe, it’s now.⁠
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It’s something I have a hard time doing. Like mo
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Do you really want to grow your faith? What we fee
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Click the link in my bio to read this week's post.⁠
#prayerwarrior #bedeeplyrooted #prayerispowerful #praywithoutceasing #christianpost #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #growingyourfaith #womenoftheworld #intheword #lampandlight #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus ⁠


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