Mighty God
Welcome to Hope Mommies’ In the Word devotionals. Over the next several weeks, we will be studying Isaiah 9 together. In this passage, Isaiah gives us insight into the incredible hope that was given through the birth of Christ. Join us as we discover how the grieving mother can find comfort, especially in the holiday season, in the following descriptions of Christ.
Mighty God
“And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
READ:
How often does grief feel like a battleground? We fight against despair and hopelessness, we struggle against lies from the enemy that suggest that God has abandoned us, we resist the fear that we will never be at rest in our souls again, and we put up walls to guard our hearts against any more pain.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12
If only there was One who would come along side us, with power greater than the darkness, to strengthen us and fight these battles for us. The prophet Isaiah foretold of the coming Child, the Messiah, who would rescue Israel from darkness. Tucked in the middle of the list of His names, between comforting titles of wise counsel and peace, is the name “Mighty God.”
Isaiah’s readers would have been familiar with the term “mighty” in reference to God. It brought to mind One who is brave and courageous, awesome in power, strong in battle against His foes. This Mighty God is the Lord of hosts, God of gods, Creator of heaven and earth, who freed His people from bondage in Egypt through signs and wonders, the One whom David often referred to as a refuge and a rock of salvation. When Isaiah used this term in his prophecy of the coming Child, his readers would have understood that Messiah was not simply a savior but a divine Savior, God Himself.
The title “Mighty God” tell us that Jesus is a warrior. It points to the day when all of God’s enemies will be conquered forever and all of creation will worship at His feet. But even now, Jesus fights for us in our battles. Exodus 14:14 tells us, “The Lord will fight for you” and Zephaniah 3:17 reminds us, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save.”
Not only does our Mighty God fight for us and save us, He knows our pain and grief.
“Surely He has borne our griefs,
And carried our sorrows.” Isaiah 53:4
The combination of might and identification with our sorrows and griefs offers great hope. Christ conquered sin and death to bring us everlasting life. He is the victorious warrior over pain and suffering, hopelessness and despair. In Ephesians 1 we read,
“…that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” (v. 18-21)
Dear mama, weary of the battle with grief, lift your eyes to Jesus who is mighty to save. He knows your sorrow, and He is your Mighty God.
REFLECT:
- Read Deuteronomy 10:17, Psalm 55:16-23, and Jeremiah 32:17-22. Make a list of all the attributes of our Mighty God that are found in these passages.
- What battles are you fighting in your grief? How do these attributes of our Mighty God apply to the specific battles you are fighting and how can they bring you comfort?
- Abigail
Hope Mom to Sarabeth Marie
Abigail is mama to her toddler daughter and to Sarabeth who went to be with Jesus seven days after her birth in January 2018. She and her husband, Chad, live in Berea, KY on the family farm where they raise cattle. In addition to being a stay-at-home-mom and teaching piano part-time, Abigail blogs on Facebook and Instagram at A Healing Gratitude where her desire is to share Sarabeth’s story in a way that highlights the goodness and love of God and demonstrate how gratitude can lead to greater healing.
We would be honored to share your story as a Hope Mom on our blog. On Saturdays we feature Hope Moms’ stories in order to showcase God’s faithfulness even in the midst of such deep sorrow. If you would like to have your story shared on our blog for this purpose, learn more and submit here.
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