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A Prayer about God’s Irrepressible Loving-kindness

“Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” Then he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isa. 7:11-14

Gracious Father, the more often and the more carefully I read your Word the more I realize how little of your loving-kindness I actually “get.” If your goodness was a mountain, it would be Mt. Everest—the highest mountain in the world. And yet I feel like I’m just a hundred yards into my journey of ascending the heights of your love. I bet I’ll be saying the same thing one thousand years after I enter heaven.

I love the name “Immanuel”—“God with us”, and all it implies. Yet today I see, afresh, you gave this hope in response to the unfaithfulness, unbelief, and unrighteousness of your people. What a God you are! What a story you’re telling! Nothing can keep you from fulfilling your eternal plan, covenant commitments, grace-saturated promises.

It was a time of local and international crisis, and King Ahaz had every opportunity to repent and rely on you. You sent Isaiah with words of wisdom and hope, but the stubborn king refused. Feigning piety, King Ahaz remained addicted to his illusion of control and self-sufficiency.

Father, as I read this story, I realize how much I’m like King Ahaz. I can’t throw any stones today at this wicked king. Often I go through the motions of acknowledging you, but on the inside I’m far more resolved to trust in me than in you. Rather, I grieve my own illusion of control and self-sufficiency. I panic, and take matters into my own weak, small, greedy hands. How I praise you for your mercy and patience.

That’s precisely why the promise of Immanuel is so precious to me. You’ve proven yourself to be a God who is not only with me in Jesus, but a God who is so very much for me in Jesus. Your love for us in the gospel is not only unconditional, it’s contra-conditional, for you’ve met every condition necessary to fulfill your commitment to redeem your pan-national people and restore your broken creation. What a gospel you’ve given us in Jesus!

Loving Father, though I don’t have the Assyrian army outside my door threatening my existence, I do have an array of challenges in front of me this Advent season. By faith and grace, I purpose to rely on you for gospel sanity and strength, just as I rely on you for my forgiveness and my righteousness. You are with me and you are for me, and that is enough. So very Amen I pray, with gratitude and adoration.

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