Read: Isaiah 40
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (v. 5)
I’m partial to the word epiphany. I like the way it sounds; I like the way it looks. I like the way it rolls off my tongue and the way it’s spelled. I especially like it when I have one: one moment loose ends dangle, the next they are miraculously tied in a bow and delivered to my heart. In recent years, I’ve had an epiphany about Epiphany:
In the beginning, God loved the world he created. There was no Jew, no Gentile; just people God created in his image and breathed life into.
When these beloved people spurned God, he began a plan to win them back, and the Hebrew people were part of that plan. “I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth,” said God through the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 49:6, emphasis mine). From the beginning, God wanted the hearts of all men and women. Wrapping his likeness in flesh was his great manifestation, or epiphany toward all flesh. All flesh shall see it together, says Isaiah. Thus, not only Jewish shepherds, but also Gentile Magi were given personal invitations to Jesus’ birth.
On the church calendar, this period is called Epiphany (January 6), or the Epiphany Season (often the twelve days following Christmas). It is a celebration of the light of a star, guiding everyone from the end of the earth back home. Imagine, for a moment, the incredible heart necessary to love every human, everywhere, past, present and future, then tell me how big your God is.
Prayer: Giver of good gifts, grant us an epiphany as we consider your persistent pursuit of all peoples in your great love story.
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Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
Check out Walking When You’d Rather Fly, and learn more about the book and Amy’s other ministries. You will also find her devotional work at Words of Hope.
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