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About the author: Rev. Scott Shelton is the Associate Pastor of Discipleship at ZPC. In his role, he feels privileged to help people grow to be shaped more like Jesus through things like Home Groups, Great Banquet, Sunday morning classes, ZPCMen, and ZPC Women’s Ministries, Second Half Adventurers, local and global missions, and even everyday conversations or phone calls. Scott is married to Claire and they have 4 children: Jacob (graduated from Huntington University this year), Lexia (junior at Indiana Wesleyan University), Luke and Graham (both seniors at Covenant Christian High School), and one sweet little dog named Dixie.

This week's Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5

Isaiah 2:3 says, “Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
    and that we may walk in his paths.”

Welcome to these devotionals and thank you for reading. As we begin these Advent Devotionals, we hope they are a chance for you to be reminded that we can meet with God in our own homes, through technology, and we can meet with each other as the writer and the reader of the devotionals. As we read Isaiah 2:1-5 this week, we can ask the question: What does it look like to go up to the mountain of God, so God can teach us to walk in his ways?

My answer is to keep it simple. Sometimes as Christians, we make things too complicated. The Bible is a long book written by many authors over a long period of time. And because it is an ancient book, the cultural references don’t match up sometimes with our culture today. But we can still keep it simple. To go to the mountain or to the house of God is to meet with God. This can happen in these morning devotionals.

Like many of you, I’ve been trying to do 15 minutes of quiet meditation and reflection on Psalm 1 and Psalm 100 these past two weeks. Somedays, I haven’t done that. Other days, I’ve had a great quiet time. I’ve truly enjoyed wrestling what are the good things about a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1) and what does it truly mean to give our thanks to God (Psalm 100). For today (and in the four weeks ahead) to follow through on spending 15 minutes of quiet and to reading these devotionals, I suggest you find a place in your house, or go on a walk, to be quiet with God, and there you go to “the Mountain” or to “the House of God.” To meet with God means going to God and being ready to pray to him and to listen to him. It can be that simple.

Isaiah 2 says that God would teach us in his ways and we would walk in his paths.  It simply means learn, listen, remember what God teaches us and then practice that in your context. How might you love your neighbor as yourself? How might be you be a loving family member? What does it look like to be a member of the community, or the world, where you can give something of yourself, your abilities, and your money to serve and help others who need it? Sometimes, the answers to these question come when you go the the “mountain of God” and listen to God for God to “teach you his ways.” 

I just read this week that researchers have found direct links between being optimistic and better heart health, a longer life span, and being better at being compassionate and having purpose in life. Psychologists say here’s how to be optimistic: practice gratitude, keep a journal of positives, and remember people who have helped us. This is gratitude and being thankful to God and others.

So finally, this week after Thanksgiving live out Psalm 100 by giving thanks to God:

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Thank God and praise God. Why? Because God is good, his love lasts forever, and his faithfulness continues. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and have a wonderful Advent season by listening to what God is teaching you as you go the “Mountain of God” and meet God there.

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