Reflecting on a meditation based on Isaiah 35:1-10, I would like to share a couple of thoughts on maintaining a positive attitude for our future lives. And at the Anchorage Moravian Church, I will speak some of it at Sunday morning worship, December 12, 2025, 11 am.
So too, tomorrow, I will have our Moravian Revival Church congregation sing the song, “We’re Marching to Zion!” One may not know where Zion is or where it was, for that matter, but we are marching, not walking, to the holy place where God dwells. We are in the end days; we know that we have not arrived, yet, but we know God is as with us, and no matter what happens to our lives we will endure!
A psychologist, designed an experiment to test that hope and a positive attitude for the future can add years to the elderly. He did a study of fifteen healthy persons in their eighties and began to hold before them the vision that life is intended to be long and healthy. To another group of senior adults, he indicated that he was simply studying their attitudes. He offered no positive vision. The end of the study showed that the group who received positive encouragement had fewer illnesses and lived an average of 8.1 years longer, compared with 1.9 years for those who received no encouragement. What this shows us is that a positive vision contributes to survival.
Folks, we should always have faith and hope for our futures. Even though our lives are sometimes bleak, our daily lives can be tolerable. There is no need for alcohol or drugs! No need to worry about being sick or too old.
Our ultimate hope is not in the present, but in the future. If one does not have a vision for the future. Ask God, He will give you one. We are far from being all the things we know God is calling us to become, but Jesus is our highway to our God, a vision of the direction in which we are to travel, and we had best be up and on the move using our gifts for Him.
Out of Isaiah 35 I think what I have learned is that we ALL have something to look forward to, and it should make our lives more sweeter. The prophet tells his people that they will experience joy just by virtue of being involved in the journey. He says in effect: “All who are being ransomed shall come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be on their heads; sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Anticipation of our futures should be a big present for us during Christmas 2025. What the prophet and Jesus both hold before us is a vision of God’s intentions for the human race. Anticipation of that future is intended not only to give us a more posiitve faith filled attitude, and action as believers, but it should make our lives more pleasant with one another.
There is a story of a poor women who was selling flowers to make a living. It is said, she sat down at a table and ordered a bowl of soup. “I haven’t sold a flower all afternoon,” she said hoarsely. “Can you imagine, soup on Christmas Eve?”
There was a young navy sailor who finished his meal, and went over to the flower woman’s table. “Merry Christmas,” he said, smiling and picking up two corsages. “How much are they?” he asked. He bough two of them and handed the woman 50 dollars. The women said I have no change. No, ma’am,” said the sailor, leaning over and kissing the old lady. “This is my Christmas present to you.”
Then the story goes, the sailor walked over to a man siting at another table. “Sir, may I have permission to present these flowers to your beautiful daughter?” Then in one quick motion, he gave the flowers to the newsman’s wife, wished them a Merry Christmas, and departed. By then, everyone had stopped eating and was watching the sailor. As the door closed behind him, the spirit of Christmas exploded throughout the restaurant like a bomb. His vision of the future kept his spirit high, and he passed it on.
So the message from this story is that anticipation of what God has in store for us is intended to lift our spirits. We, in turn, can lift others. The highway to Zion is to be filled with joy and gladness. As people of hope, we can give others reasons to rejoice.
Note: We will do Christmas Eve Candle Trimming on December 16, 2025, 6 pm, at 3512 Robin Street. Everyone welcomed to help.