In the name of Jesus. Amen. Clap your hands? Not us. We are Lutherans. Burst forth in song? Not us. We've never done that before.
Not you. It's not you. It's the mountains and the hills that are bursting forth with shouts of joy before you.
This is the all-encompassing glory of the salvation won by Jesus on the Cross and delivered to us in the Word. Everything sings forth His praise – you, me, the hills before us, and even the trees.
He has died. He has risen. Everything that went wrong with Adam and Eve, and the fruit that God told them not to eat and they did anyway, has been set right. Everything that you have done in thought, word, and deed has been made right, too. Everything with us, everything with the animals, and everything with the world – everything has been made to burst forth in song by Christ's death on the Cross.
All this goes on, says Isaiah, before you. You are brought out with mirth. You are led out in peace. The mountains and the hills burst out before you. The trees applaud you.
Feeling down in the dumps? Bad day? Lost your friends? Things not going your way? Barely hanging on? Can't take it anymore?
Clap. Clap. Clap. If the trees had hands, they'd be applauding you. Shout. Shout. Shout. Way to go! If the hills and mountains had voices, you'd hear them cheering you on!
Not you – certainly not you – because you are you. It's about Jesus and His Words – He has died. He has risen. He's delivered that forgiveness to you in His Word, which doesn't return to Him void, but does what He wills it to do and delivers what He promises!
Peace, shouts of joy, and clapping trees – that's pretty happy. That's how God is toward you now because of Christ. And if you think about it, it might make you smile. Do you feel that twitch in your mouth wanting to grin just a tiny bit? Just a little smirk, even in the midst of all this sadness? Maybe just a bit of clapping?
Well, not us. We're Lutherans. We don't do that. Ok, but if you don't, the hills will sing and the trees will clap before you.
Clap! Clap! Clap! They are clapping for you! “Nice job,” say the mountains and the hills. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. Philippians 4:11b
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