December 11th Reflection - God is Coming - by Bill Lynch

Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
   the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
   and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
   the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
   the majesty of our God.


Strengthen the weak hands,
   and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
   and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
   the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,
   and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
   but it shall be for God’s people;
   no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
   nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
   but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
   and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
   they shall obtain joy and gladness,
   and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Reflection - God is Coming!
Yes, it's true! Yes! God is coming our way. God is passing our way. God is coming from heaven to earth. God is coming to all the people. God is coming to you and to me. God is coming in flesh and blood to all of us together and to each of us individually. God is coming in Spirit to all of us together and to each of us individually. What are you going to do?

Just look and see the change. See the desert change and life spring eternal in all directions. God is coming, I say! God is coming! See the flowers spring up! Rest in the shade of the trees that pop up in the desert. God is coming! God is passing your way and my way and the way of all people. God is coming!

Jesus is coming to take us home! Take us home to live in eternal relationship with God. A new age is here. Jesus has come to this world. Jesus rose again and ascended into heaven. But, Jesus is coming again. Right here and right now, Jesus is coming. And Jesus will come again to fulfill the promise of yet another new age. An age where tears and death and mourning and illness will be no more. Jesus is coming! See the change in you and in me. God is coming!

Live in the hope of God's coming, past, present and future. Live in the love of God's coming to you and to me and to all people. What are you going to do? God is coming!

See the brooks flow living water from the desert. See and hear the babbling of the creek. Hear the roar of the oceans as God is coming! We have seen an exodus past and we will be led through that wonderful path of love and life and water and new life to an exodus or maybe an entrance to or from our God who is coming. God is coming!

Rejoice in the coming! Shout it out to all you meet! God is coming to each and to all! Live in the hope and love of God... for God is coming!

Prayer
Lord, prepare our hearts, our minds and our very souls for your coming. Come, Lord Jesus, come... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen