December 14: The Messiah as Guide
♫ Music:
Day 16 - Monday, December 14
Title: THE MESSIAH AS GUIDE
Scripture: Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Poetry:
The Invitation
by George Herbert
Come ye hither all, whose taste
Is your waste;
Save your cost, and mend your fare.
God is here prepar’d and drest,
And the feast,
God, in whom all dainties are.
Come ye hither all, whom wine
Doth define,
Naming you not to your good:
Weep what ye have drunk amisse,
And drink this,
Which before ye drink is blood.
Come ye hither all, whom pain
Doth arraign,
Bringing all your sins to sight:
Taste and fear not: God is here
In this cheer,
And on sinne doth cast the fright.
Come ye hither all, whom joy
Doth destroy,
While ye graze without your bounds:
Here is joy that drowneth quite
Your delight,
As a flood the lower grounds.
Come ye hither all, whose love
Is your dove,
And exalts you to the skie:
Here is love, which having breath
Ev’n in death,
After death can never die.
Lord I have invited all,
And I shall
Still invite, still call to thee:
For it seems but just and right
In my sight,
Where is all, there all should be.
IN THE ARMS OF THE SHEPHERD
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
But Abba, I do want.
I want the world to mend. I want death to die. I want suffering to cease. I want goodness, truth, and beauty to blot out darkness. I want reconciliation to bind division and empathy to upend contempt. I want just mercy. I want a life that is full and vibrant. I want to be so much better than I am.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
But Jesus, the pastures have not been green. Not always. The waters have raged. The loss. The loneliness. The fear. The heartbreak. Why?
He restores my soul.
Healer, please. I can’t fix myself. I’ve tried. Trust me, I’ve tried. But I only seem to keep crumbling, stumbling further from you.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Christ, I am not worthy of your name. My sin is a disease, infecting, spreading in the space of a breath, giving way to death. I cannot escape it, cannot confine it. I am beaten.
Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death,
Not there. Please, not there.
I will fear no evil,
I am afraid.
for you are with me;
You are with me.
With me.
You, with me?
Even I?
I, who stray from you in pride, only to find myself lost? I, who have indulged my appetites and wasted time, who have become drunk on the illusion of control? I, who have sought the approval of man instead of seeking your face? You would have me?
Emmanuel. God with us. With us. You came to “be with.” Died to be with. That we may never be alone. Is that the salve that soothes the ragged edges of suffering? That gives us the strength to take up the promised cross? Job was humbled by your presence—but did he also find relief there?
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
I find no easy answers. But by the evidence of your presence, I am comforted because I remember who you are. Not just any shepherd, but the Good Shepherd. Who knows his sheep. Who seeks the lost. Who lays down his life.
I need a lot of guidance. Could you lead me gently? Could you gather the pieces of my fractured heart and hold me close?
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Do I need eyes of faith to see the abundance of your table? Could my longings find their greater “Yes” in your arms? Food that satisfies, not simply delights. Wine that gives life, not numbs. Joy that abides, not fades fleetingly. Love that abounds, fills, overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
For you have come near. You made this world your home, that I may make your home my own.
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Prayer:
Good Shepherd,
Guide us as we wrestle with your Word. Open our eyes to the reality of your presence. Teach us to receive the solace of your Spirit. Ground us in hope that supersedes all circumstances. And move us to invite our neighbors to your table, where there is space for all.
Amen.
Hannah Williamson
Alumna of Biola University and the Torrey Honors College
Content Creation Specialist at Michael Hyatt & Co.
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
The Lost Sheep
H.C. Wyeth
1926
Oil on canvas
114.2 x 101.5 cm
Colby College Museum of Art
Waterville, Maine
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Childs
About the Artist:
N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) was born in Needham, Massachusetts. His artistic interests were inspired by his mother, and he eventually sought out art training over a more traditional education. He attended several art schools before studying at the Howard Pyle School of Art in Delaware. At the start of the 1910s, Wyeth was hired to provide illustrations for Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island for Scribner's & Sons book publishers. Wyeth continued to work with the company, developing a line that would come to be known as Scribner's Illustrated Classics, including titles like The Boy's King Arthur, The Last of the Mohicans, Drums, and The Yearling. Wyeth won acclaim for his style of textured, moody paintings featuring personal vantage points and giving the genre of children's storytelling distinctive realism. His oeuvre contains a wide selection of Biblical illustrations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._C._Wyeth
Music #1:
“Psalm 23 (I'm Not Alone)” from the album Psalm 23 (I'm Not Alone)
Lyrics:
The Lord is my Shepherd
He goes before me
Defender behind me
I won’t fear
I’m filled with anointing
My cup’s overflowing
No weapon can harm me
I won’t fear
Hallelujah I am not alone
He's my comfort, always holds me close
He always guides me
Through mountains and valleys
His joy is refreshing
Restores my soul
Mercy and Goodness
Gives me assurance
That I'll see Your Glory
Face to face
Your Spirit lives within me
So I will walk in Your Peace
Your Spirit lives within me
My Victory
Performers:
Joshua Sherman and People & Songs
Joshua Sherman joined the People & Songs family by way of Saint Petersburg, Florida. Sherman has served as the Minister of Music at Holy Christian Church since 2009. As the son of pastors, his heart is in praising, making a boastful sound of rejoicing, and glorifying God. Sherman attended the GMA Immerse Conference in Nashville in 2016, where he won the Male Artist/Writer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. He is a man of faith and believes that through the sovereignty of God the Father, the blood and name of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, everything is possible.
https://www.newreleasetoday.com/artistdetail.php?artist_id=6181
People and Songs is a community made up of Church songwriters, artists, and worship leaders. It is a diverse array of talent, genre, generation, and denomination. Members all serve in the hope that they will see the Kingdom come as a result of their lives. In accordance with Ephesians 5:21, they submit their individual stylistic bents and denominational preferences to allow their talents and creativity to become the tools with which they unite as one. They believe that, “God has put desire for biblical unity in us, and a longing to see the Church become one in faith, in hope, and in one calling.”
https://www.peopleandsongs.com/about
Composers/Lyricists:
Steven Musso, Laurel Taylor, and Joshua Sherman
Steven Musso is an American worship leader who has collaborated on many songs for The Emerging Sound, a summer songwriting intensive for Christian teens in the 6th-12th grades. It was founded by Jennie Lee Riddle (writer of “Revelation Song”) and is hosted by People & Songs. Students enjoy chapels, core teams, and small writing circles with professionals on a daily basis. The program is on hiatus for the year 2020, but hopefully registration for 2021 will open soon.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/emergingsound/about/
https://www.theemergingsound.com/
Laurel Taylor is a country music star and former American Idol contestant from Season 14. Laurel played at venues all over Nashville, the eastern United States, and even Switzerland. But when Taylor felt the Holy Spirit pushing her away from the Nashville scene, she felt a calling to write and perform Christian music. She attended Christian conferences in Nashville and Texas, where her God-given gift was discovered. Laurel has turned her music over to God and embarked on a new career path in Christian music. Taylor now lives in La Porte, IN, where she is a developing writer/artist with The Emerging Sound and People and Songs. Her passion is to write, perform, serve others, and impact lives.
http://www.cantinas.org/artist/laurel-taylor/
https://www.alabamanews.net/2018/08/13/laurel-taylor/
Music #2:
Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 1: 17. He Shall Feed His Flock
Lyrics:
He shall feed His flock like a shepherd:
He shall gather the lambs with His arm,
and carry them in His bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Performers:
Adele Addison (b. 1925) is an African-American lyric soprano who performed in the classical music world during the 1950s and 1960s. Although she did appear in several operas, Addison spent most of her career performing in recital and concert. Her performances spanned a wide array of music from the Baroque period to contemporary compositions. She is best remembered today as the singing voice for Bess (played by Dorothy Dandridge) in the 1959 movie, Porgy and Bess. Known for her polished and fluent tone, she can be heard on numerous recordings. Many of her recordings were made with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Leonard Bernstein.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adele_Addison
About the Poet:
George Herbert (1593-1633) was a Welsh-born English poet, orator, and Anglican priest. Herbert’s poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets and he is recognized as “a pivotal figure: enormously popular, deeply and broadly influential, and arguably the most skillful and important British devotional lyricist.” He was born into an artistic and wealthy family and was primarily raised in England. He received his education at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1609. He went there with the intention of becoming a priest, but he became the University's Public Orator and attracted the attention of King James I. Herbert served in the Parliament of England in 1624 and briefly in 1625. After the death of King James I, Herbert gave up his secular ambitions and took holy orders in the Church of England, spending the rest of his life as the rector of St Andrew's Church in Salisbury. Throughout his life, Herbert wrote Christian poetry with a precision of language and a masterful use of imagery. Some of Herbert’s poems have been turned into hymns and are still in use today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Herbert
About the Devotion Author:
Hannah Williamson
Alumna of Biola University and the Torrey Honors College
Content Creation Specialist at Michael Hyatt & Co
Hannah Williamson (‘18) is a Content Creation Specialist at Michael Hyatt & Co., where she writes content to help overworked, overwhelmed leaders make their greatest contribution and lead a full life. She is a lover of books, play, thunderstorms, and good questions that spark even better conversations.