Experiencing God's Presence #355

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.

Isaiah 9:6

The government will rest on the shoulders of a child. That tells us quite a bit about God: that He is interested in government, now and forever; that a child who is dependent on Him is more powerful than a warrior king who isn’t; and that God’s greatest gifts come in unexpected, humble packages. The child who is born to us is a powerful Presence.

We know the Christmas story and its universal implications, and we marvel every year at the advent of God’s Son. But often lost in the big picture of the Nativity are the personal implications for each of us. Jesus is still an unexpected package in our lives, often disguising His greatest blessings in very humble clothing. Jesus is still a model of childlike dependence on God, the kind of dependence that doesn’t appear to be the key to experiencing infinite power, but is. And Jesus is still interested in government, not just of the world and the everlasting Kingdom, but of every inch of our hearts. On both the grand and the deeply personal scales, the child who is born to us is given for comprehensive, life-altering reasons.

The infant in a manger in Bethlehem was a onetime event, but it was also a pattern of things to come. He was God incognito, the One who could be recognized only by eyes of faith, by those who sought out the meaning of a star or who wouldn’t have noticed unless they were startled and sent by angels to see Him. Neither He nor His frequent advents into our lives are self-evident. They must be discovered by those who will look for Him. And those who do will be able to cast the government of their lives on His shoulders.

Jesus, give me eyes to see You everywhere. I want to notice every advent, every approach You make into my life. And I depend on You to rule not only my world, but also me.

From the book