All the obstacles removed
by Pastor Matt Bishop
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With a scorching wind [the Lord] will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals (Isaiah 11:15).
What a wet, wet year. John 1:16, which we hear on Christmas Day, proclaims grace upon grace. In Australia, this year has been about flood upon flood. If you are a victim of these floods, you can be assured that you have been prayed for many times across the Lutheran Church of Australia and New Zealand. Many government and community agencies are offering practical help. Hopefully, you have been able to access this. No doubt, you have faced or will face many obstacles in recovery. Yet things just take time, not least in a fully employed economy still recovering from COVID interruptions.
God’s word knows a fair bit about obstacles. Isaiah 11 is a chapter on the restoration and removal of these obstacles. It may not be directly talking about the floods, but as with all God’s words, it’s not irrelevant to the practical, and we best not only spiritualise it.
The early part of Isaiah 11 speaks of the branch coming from the stump of Jesse and paints a beautiful picture of peace: lions sitting with yearlings and the cobra not striking the child. But that picture of peace needs to be operationalised. And so, the branch, Jesus, goes about removing the obstacles. It’s picture language of drying up a sea that divides and separating a river into seven shallow, small streams (verse 15). A highway to transport us, rather than rough ground (verse 16).
The seven streams are the corollary of the seven gifts of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2,3 that were the subject of yesterday’s devotion. These gifts at work in your own life are how Christ removes the obstacles. And they flow from the spiritual realms into the practical – even to filling out insurance claims and undertaking site works, as tedious as that is! The Lord is with us in all things.
Lord, in mercy, keep your seven gifts of the Spirit from the flood of baptism flowing in our lives: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, reverence of you, and delight in the reverence of you. Rebuild the lives of all affected in Australia by floods this year, and use your church to assist in both spirit and practice. Amen.
Pastor Matt Bishop serves the congregation and primary school at St Paul Lutheran Church Blair Athol and is chair of the LCANZ General Pastors Conference. He is married to Melissa, delights in his three young adult daughters, and enjoys caring for his five chickens and five budgerigars. He says he would like to spend more time at Venus Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula fishing for King George Whiting, but he loves being both a pastor (mostly) and sharing the gospel with everyone God puts in his path (always).
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