Isaiah, a Judean prophet during the reign of Uzziah, offered a message of hope in a Messiah, a Saviour, that was to come and set up a Kingdom of Light. It would begin in Galilee, reaching to the whole nation and ultimately the whole world. That’s us today, our world, our lives, our corners. Yeah, we can experience that light for our despair in these days of such uncertainty. Isaiah 9: 6, 7 is the foundational promise of the coming Messiah.
“For a child is born to us. A Son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.”
Our Saviour is no longer just a promise but a reality and His children that know Him, know the blessing of knowing Him. Those that know Him, know the promise and hope of His second return for His own. What a Hope that stirs up within our hearts and souls. What a peace it brings and what a joy it delivers to the very core of our being.
So today, as we go deeper into the celebration season of Advent, we get to savour the Saviour above all else and even the hope of His second coming. Take time to know Him
Christ’s coming as a newborn baby was God’s gift of humility to humanity. God, the creator of all things, left the brilliance and the highest of heavenly heights and sweet and majestic glories of heaven to enter into our world! He came a fragile, helpless baby in need of love, care, nurturing and the tender hearts of a mom and dad. His name was Jesus and He grew into a child, a teen and on to a young adult! He walked among us experiencing life as we know it yet because of His divine genealogy and inheritance, He was without sin. Even so, and even still today, He knows your pain and He feels it! He knows the battle that wars on in your temptations! He walked there! He knows your fears, your failures and your complete and utter despair! His humility took Him to the cross and His death took Him to the grave. His resurrection, took Him to the heights of Heaven, to be seated at the right hand of His divine Father God!
His life, death and resurrection provide a solution for our sin problem, our despair and our hopelessness.
This Christmas Advent season of celebration, savour that sweet and powerful hope that His birth begins to bring into a world of need, for such a time as this! Yeah, His death and resurrection went down in history and because of His whole gift of sacrifice, there is now a totally awesome new life in Christ available for us today. He can be present in our lives as we live them out daily in His presence.
Seek Him, as the wise men did, find Him as the shepherds did, Praise Him as Mary did, right where you are, in your less than perfect surroundings and situations, and be in awe of a Savior and a mediator, sent by God, who came to serve, to seek and to save.
Isaiah’s prophesy of so many years ago did come true when the promise of a Heavenly Royal King to be born was a promise of hope for a needy people. Let that same Hope fill you and your beautiful soul with a glorious wonder and anticipation as we begin this first week of Advent!
Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Today the candle of Hope lights this cold, frazzled earth and reminds us of God’s special gift to us and to a broken, crushed and fearful world! A world so desperate for its stability and thing is, His Hope keeps on giving as we keep on growing in trust, with hopeful hearts in our Lord and Saviour. Finding soul hope in our Lord at this Advent season helps to build precious hope in the hearts and minds of others. This sweet and sustainable gift is contagious and powerful and we dare not ever let it go
So, In these crazy days of COVID and advent celebration, share that precious hope that you’ve found in our Saviour, and touch lives everywhere because all lives matter this Advent season and always
Isaiah 40: 31 … “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” #alwayshope#AdventofHope
So ’tis the season to be jolly? Is it really? Is it really a season of jolly and joyful or do we find ourselves in a scurry of just clear crazy? With so much going on in this COVID world and so much loaded on the ‘Good-Will’ ‘to-do’ platter, we might just find there’s too much conundrum on our own plate. How then do we quiet ourselves amidst this complete and complex craziness of so much of everything to both ponder and accomplish?
This year, it’s not just the hubbub of Christmas festivities but other things too, other issues that creep in from the far corners of your world! They sneak in like creepy shadows, without an invite, yet loudly proclaiming their presence as they parade dauntingly through the mind, intimidating every step of this way and that and every way in between. They rant on and on and on, about what they came to do. Things that go bump in the night and make sleep a thing of the past! Anxiety here, a tension there, a bit of strife and disagreement and our old enemy is boldly on deck, ready to snag us with a host of issues to distract from even seeing the ‘Merry’ in Christmas!
So ok, ’tis the season to be jolly but sometimes the “Merry” is so far removed from our life that we even fail to find the “Christ” of Christmas. Remember Him? He’s the Saviour of your day! Your life, your week, and your busy season of life. So, ok, beautiful one, as His child, whatever season you’re in, you can know He’s walking with you! Right along beside! So whatever you do right now, collect your messy thoughts and usher your busy, crazy world right into His sweet and powerful presence for some healing and some quiet. So now, there you are with your whole heart, smack dab in the presence of your amazing God, Maker, Creator, Savior, and Lord. What now? Well, just savour the Saviour and find His grace enough to dissipate those fears hidden in the shadows of that darkness!
Yeah, You’ll find enough peace there for the hectic, enough mercy there for miles you’ve trod, enough healing to rejuvenate the weary! You’ll find enough grace there too, for the moment, enough Light there for road and enough hope there to keep you on keeping on! Oh yeah, and that ‘goodwill “To Do” platter? Well, relax with it, it will be full and running over, just like your heart of joy and gratitude to the One who cares so deeply for your beautiful soul. So, beautiful you, while COVID runs crazy and the busy gets up to run wild in the days ahead, take a time out to get alone with the One who knows your upside and downside and confirm with the Psalmist as he pens in Psalm 97: 10 b,
“He protects the lives of His godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. The light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.”Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Hope and Healing In Hard Places 