Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"He Came Down"
August 3, 2020
In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because He was angry ... He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under His feet.
Scripture speaks of many times when God "came down." He came down to inspect the tower of Babel and in judgment on human pride, confused the language of the builders and scattered them across the earth. He came down in cloud and fire on Mount Sinai to give His Law to Israel. In our psalm, the God who "dwells in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:16b) covers Himself in darkness and comes down to rescue His servant David, descending in wrath and might that bends the heavens.
Centuries later, God once again "bowed the heavens and came down" to rescue us from a "strong enemy" who was "too mighty" for us (Psalm 18:17). God the Son left His dwelling of light and humbled Himself to be conceived in the darkness of a virgin's womb. While our infant Savior slept in a manger in Bethlehem, darkness turned bright as day as an angel announced the news of His birth to shepherds out in the nearby fields. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior," said the angel (Luke 2:11a). That glad news is for us, too. The Son of God descended from the realms of light to dwell in a sin-darkened world. He came down for you!
To rescue us, our Lord Jesus, the Light of the world, was nailed to a cross. He bore our sins in His body as thick darkness surrounded Him. There was no thundering voice from heaven to answer His desolate cry, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46b). Dying in silent darkness, Jesus scattered our enemies and rescued us from sin, death, and the devil. Three days later, in the early light of the first Easter morning, the land "trembled and quaked," as an angel descended to roll away the stone blocking the door of Jesus' tomb. The Son of God rose from the dead, leaving behind the darkness of death and the grave.
We had not even cried out in distress as the psalmist had. Trapped in sin, we were unaware of our need. Still, the Son of God came down to rescue us, for "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8b). Now He reigns in glory, ever ready to hear our cries of distress and our songs of praise. On a day still to come, the Savior will again bow the heavens and come down, not in silent darkness as in His birth in Bethlehem, but in power and glory. He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords to rescue us, to raise us from death as He was raised and take us to dwell in His presence for all eternity.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we look forward to the day of Your return. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you have a sense that God interacts with you personally, in your life?This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
2. Can you think of times in the Bible when God was angry? When were they and what happened?
3. Do you look forward to when God will come again on the Last Day?
Do you have a sense that God interacts with you personally, in your life?
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