“Blessing” and “blessed” are abused words. They can often be used in quite trite ways. But …
Abram was promised
that he would be blessed
to be a blessing.
Blindly and faithfully
he obeyed
and went.
His family would bring forth
THE Blessing –
through, one, two, twelve
and multitudes – a nation.
His family line led
to a feed trough
in Bethlehem.
The Blessing:
a Kingdom, forgiveness
and life everlasting,
had come.
The promise fulfilled.
Yesterday, in a short poem, I reflected on the promise of a Messiah in Genesis 3:15. This is often called the Protevangelium, that is, the first announcement of the Gospel.
But in a real sense we see the good news before that. God’s very act of creation is an expression of His character and nature. God creates a magnificent cosmos – the size of which is beyond our comprehension, and yet in the midst of this He plants earth with it plants and animals. He crowns it with humanity. We have a triune God of relationship who creates a being who can also share relationships and intimacy. For me, this is a declaration of “grace” – undeserved love.
So as we come to Advent soon, it is a good time to ponder the character of a relational God who would plant a creation, but also inject himself into that when his creatures had turned their backs on Him. That is truly amazing grace!
To crush a head
Unusual Figure: St. Mary Magdalen, Geddington, UK
or bruise a heel:
There is a world of difference.
It is to die or live.
The Promise died then lived
… and lives.
The cursed lives,
on borrowed time for a moment,
as his fate was sealed
on a cross so long ago,
to die.
The Promise would be born
of a woman inflicted
with the pain of child birth.
The daughter of Eve
would deliver the
head crusher
and soul healer.
Advent
Coming and becoming.
Anticipating
and hoping.
Longing and
Rejoicing.
The ancient Words,
Promises
and pledges
Coming to Life –
Eternal Life.
The salvation plan
winding through
history and people,
kings and peasants,
obedience and rebellion.
Dim distant Covenant shadows
Given breath
and Voice
in starlit Bethlehem.
God made flesh.
Humanity offered life.
I find this an exciting time of the year. Advent, that time when once again we reflect on 
God’s timetable as He prepared for His son to come into the world as the God/man. It is a time to remember the promises liberally sprinkled throughout the whole Old Testament: from the mysterious Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” through to the glorious Isaiah 11, “1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.”
Advent is a time that reminds us of God’s faithfulness and the perfection of His timing. This is important, as right now we are in the midst of a second advent, we too are waiting for the God/man to come, but not as a tiny baby but as a glorious and triumphant king. So as we wait, sometimes impatiently, the first advent reminds us that God’s plans and timing are perfect.
So in the words of James, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.”
Travels from Ur 