Wonder Of Advent #37

The Zeal of God

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7

The passionate commitment of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Isaiah 9:7

APPARENTLY GOD gets excited about some things. It’s hard to imagine him being careless about anything, of course, but he seems particularly enthusiastic about his core objectives. And there is no more central purpose in this world than the Incarnation. God prepared for the advent of the Messiah for millennia beforehand, and he has pointed us back to it for millennia since. It is not just part of his plan; it is the centerpiece. The reign of the Son has begun and will never stop increasing. He is overcoming the human rebellion and overthrowing impostor kingdoms. He promised to invade earth with the shalom of heaven. The zeal of the Lord—his passionate commitment—is relentless in accomplishing this. All of it.

We see that in the birth stories of Jesus. The Messiah was born into a world full of danger, but the Father zealously protected him. He was born under a cloud of suspicion, but the Father patiently yet passionately vindicated him. He came to sacrifice himself, but the Father preserved him until the perfect time and orchestrated our perfect salvation. For millennia, history was hurtling toward a particular moment in Bethlehem. Ever since, it has been hurtling toward the reign of the Son. These events have never been in doubt. When God is zealous about something, it’s done.

If God is passionate about this plan, we can assume he invites us to be passionate about it too. He urges us to enter into the currents of his Kingdom and flow with them forever. He wants us to be involved in the expansion of his reign. That means our agendas need to blend into his. There’s no point in trying to build our own kingdoms on the side. That can only lead to frustration. The Lord’s zeal is focused on one Kingdom only. All others will have to fit into it.

If you’ve ever felt out of sync with God and his purposes, here’s one way to align with him. God invites you and me to delight in him and have our desires fulfilled, but he wants those desires to converge with his. He wants our hearts to beat with his. He searches for those who will partner with him to accomplish the desires of his heart. History inevitably aligns with his purposes. We find our joy and fulfillment in aligning with them too.

Prayer

Father, fill me with your fervor. Synchronize my heartbeat with yours. Align my desires with yours, so that we may both experience the joy of fulfillment. Let me spend my life delighting in what you accomplish. Amen.

REFLECTION

What gets you excited? How much does your zeal overlap with God’s? If there’s a discrepancy, how do you think God would respond if you prayed to love what he loves?

Further reading: Matthew 6:10

If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,

then flit not from this heavenly boy.

“THIS LITTLE BABE,” ROBERT SOUTHWELL