For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isa 9:6-7
The Greater Carries the Lesser
The title and scripture above signifies someone with great power who carries something smaller than Himself. It seem curious that the scripture starts out talking about a child who does this but it continues the description of a prince, a counselor, the mighty God, and the everlasting Father which makes more sense to us. The mighty is able to carry the lesser and the matured Savior taught us the principle of the strong caring for the weak.
The title suggests that there is a strong one who carries the government upon his shoulders. That may be something of an enigma for this generation and in America, where government seems supreme. The scripture signifies that it is God who is supporting and upholding the government but America no longer thinks of God that way. The nation of America and others declare the greatness of America and how powerful she is with strength above any other nations. America’s weapons are so great that other nations fear its power of destruction. America has excelled in knowledge, inventions and wealth above many nations. We sing and boast of the greatness of America and yet there is someone greater than America who carries her.
It is not that America has a god but rather that God has America. God who inspired and established this nation through the inspiration, knowledge and strength of various people from its beginning, is still the One who hold the reins that keeps the nation from falling apart. The nation is made up of people of various faiths but it was faith in the One True God and His Son, Jesus that guided the building and sustaining of this nation. It is so that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance (Ps 33:12).”
People from various nations of the world have come to America to investigate and enjoy the greatness that is America and they have brought their own cultures with them. But if their practices and ideologies ever overtake the faith that is the foundation of this nation, it will cease to be great. Those that are descendants of the founders of the nation, who believed in an unseen God, must carry on the faith and traditions of a faithful people who loved a faithful God. Modernization must never concede to the disruption of the true foundation upon which we all stand or we will all fail.
Loving parents always warn their children of potential dangers ahead to keep them safe and this they have learned from God, the Father, who has done this for his children:
Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations Deu 7:9 …
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons… Deu 4:9
Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. Deu 4:23
Loving parents also build barriers of love and protection of which their children are to live within the confines. They know that danger lurks without those confines and God knows the dangers that await us outside the barriers he has built for us. Children will test the barriers set for them as we have often done as a people and nation; but discipline, if not danger, awaits the disobedient that breach those barriers.
It is a comfort to be carried by someone stronger than you and it is a comfort for a nation to know that there is a God big enough to carry us and all our concerns and needs. God, the Father, foresaw all that the nation of America would encounter and require and He prepared a course of protection and provision for it as longs as it walks in obedience. Just like children who reach an age where they want to rebel so does God’s people from time to time. It is unwise to “kick against the pricks” as Jesus told Saul, the Pharisee that later became Apostle Paul. God taught us through Prophet Samuel that obedience is better than sacrifice. Though God does forgive and restore, it is better not to test his restraints. God is carrying the nation of America on His shoulder through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our nation should never forget the sacrifice of our Lord or the sacrifice of those who died for our right to enjoy it.
Christmas A Symbol of Love
The Christmas season is a time when the focus is on giving of gifts to loved ones. It is a time when we celebrate the love of the Father who gave us His only begotten Son to be born into a world of sin. We celebrate the birth of the baby and marvel at the story but we should also remember at this time the cross that he was born to die on to save us. It is His love shown for us that has generated a love that we share with others. That is the love Christ expects us to share year round with our neighbors as proof that He still lives because he is loving people through us.
Christ is big enough to love us and everyone around us and the more love He pours in us, the more love we have to share with others. Love is not selfish. Love grows as we share it and it returns back to us in one form or another. People often refuse to give because they do not want to lose what they have; but love is something that we can give and never run out because God replenishes shared love.
The fact that Christ carries this nation upon his shoulders means that He is supplying our needs so that we can help captivate the whole world with the love He has given us. We should be exporting the love he has given us so that he can pour on us more to give. The fact that he carries us is proof that we need not worry about running out of anything as long as we choose to walk in obedience and keep him as our God and foundation.
This is a time of love and sharing and it is a time to remember that God is the source of love. He sacrificed for us to prove His love and we should strive every day to imitate and be more like him. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (Jo 3:16).
If we stop and focus on the true meaning of the season, it should help us to realign with the Father’s plan for us. He planned for us to experience his love and then to share that love with others; and we can do it because He is carrying us.
Merry Christmas!
For additional information and reading go to: joycerebapayneministries.com
Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 