times up, smile!

Sunday January 26^th, Isaiah 9: 1 But suddenly there will be no more gloom for the land that suffered. In the past God made the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali hang their heads in shame, but in the future those lands will be made great.  The areas the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali settled in and lived was along the northern and western shores of the Sea of Galilee.  When the Assyrians conquered the area, they were among the first to fall.  This was the Promised Land, it was believed that God gave it to the Hebrew people, and now these two tribes became the symbol of defeat, and with it the symbol of God’s displeasure.  They were the scapegoats for what would eventually befall the rest of the tribes of Israel.  God’s message in the midst of shame and defeat in our lives is to lift up your heads.  Similar to the message to Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and you and I, Fear not.  In the midst of the worst of times, fear not.  In the midst of life falling apart, fear not.  In the midst of fear inducing trauma, fear not, for the Lord is with you, and any kind of mess your life turns into, remember that God is with you and you are not alone, so fear not.  With God you will find that the mess becomes message, and down the road a ways, you can look back and see that the Kingdom of God was indeed, near all the time.  So live a life of Fear Not.