On His Shoulder

Daily Devotion for Advent | Friday, December 7, 2018

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

This is a really odd image. Isaiah starts out by painting a picture of a newborn baby boy, and then abruptly says, “the government shall be upon His shoulder …” In my mind’s eye, I see a little baby hoisting a great big heavy load on that tiny little shoulder of His—how exactly does that work?

But it does work, because that baby is more than just a baby—it’s God Himself, the Mighty God who carries all things. And what government is Isaiah talking about?—why, the government of everything, of course. The universe. Our world. My life. Yours. He governs all of it.

All of it is on His shoulder—because a cross was once on that shoulder, a cross He carried for our sakes all the way to Calvary. He carried that heavy load because He loved us—the burden of all of our sins and evil and wickedness, everything we ever did or will do. No one else could carry that load. It would squash them flat.

But Jesus carried it, because you are His. He loves you, He delights in you, and He has made you His own. And today He carries the government of all things—the management of everything in your life—because He loves you. You are never out of His hands.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for carrying the government of every detail of my life. Help me to trust in You, especially when I am afraid or sad. Amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

• What is the heaviest load you have ever carried physically?
  
• Are you carrying a heavy load emotionally or spiritually right now? If you are willing, describe it.
• Write or say a prayer asking Jesus to help you with a heavy load in your life right now.
  

The coming Savior’s birth was foretold by the prophets of old and later experienced by many who were on hand as He came into this world. Mary and Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon, shepherds, wise men from the east, a legion of angels, and even King Herod—all play their parts in the Gospel narratives that speak of the Savior’s incarnation. Explore the many ways their lives were touched as God became one of us, for each of us, in The Coming King.