Every year our family reads through advent passages in our personal devotions.  Because we do it every year, the passages become familiar.  It is easy to read a passage and not even think.  Yet every year God speaks to my heart from different passages. 

This year as I read Isaiah 53, I was deeply impacted with what Jesus came to do for me. Verse 11 says:

 “Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.”

Yes, Jesus bore my iniquities.  He was willing to die a criminal’s death so I did not have to bear my iniquity, my sin!

My heart is full because of the enormity of what Jesus did for me. 

I am amazed at God’s love!

Rejoice! Jesus Came!

 

Here we are racing through advent, yet I have not blogged yet.  So much going on around me.  However, I am enjoying listening to Christmas music.  One of my favorite Christmas carols is “Joy to the World”.  I sometimes want to shout that out to my world.  The Lord has come!  Wake up and rejoice. 

We recently heard that while Japan has a high life expectancy, they also have a record level of unhappiness.  Many think the reason is a lack of hope. We see it in the faces of the people here. You do not see many joyous people here.

Well, I know a cure!  That cure starts with God. He so loved the world He sent His Son to this broken world.  He made a way for the hope of eternal life.  Now that is cause for rejoicing!

John 3:16 ESV

" “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."