WATCHWORD:
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.
6 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.
7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
Isaiah 9:2-7
Meditation:
Light in Our Darkness
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
We are the people who walk in darkness and some of us have seen a great light. That light is Jesus. We bear the reality of a prophecy written over 2000 years ago. The fulfillment of that prophecy began with the birth of our Lord as a baby in the manger and it is ongoing.
We rejoice when people see the condition of their lives and reach out to Jesus and embrace him as Savior. This is the good news and while it sometimes is difficult to grasp the idea that Jesus died for our sins, when we ponder that fact, the light of His Word shines even brighter.
I think we sometimes underestimate the power of our journey, our relationship with Jesus, our faith stories. Our embracing Jesus has power. Our sharing our faith has power. When we tell our story, we are planting seeds of faith to the world. Do not underestimate the importance of following Jesus’ command to go and make disciples.
Again, we are the people who walk in darkness, and the darkness is the denial of God’s grace. God’s grace denied? Really. How is that done? I suppose there are those that are outwardly sinful people, in the way they live. But there are also those people that are striving, often and blindly, to strictly uphold the law (think Pharisees). What keeps them in the darkness is not their sinfulness, but their failure to see the light of Christ, and, in truth did not clearly see their own sin and thus their need for a savior.
Our lives here on earth are filled with ups and downs, joys and grief, pain and suffering. I am thankful that God can work through all of those negatives to bring about forgiveness and repentance, the gateway to eternal life. Psalm 51:17 gives insight to God’s disposition toward you and I in our repentance. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Amen.
Advent Assurance: ~ Isaiah 42:16 ~
“I will walk the blind by an unknown way
and guide them on paths they’ve never traveled.
I will smooth their difficult road
and make their dark mysteries bright with light.
These are things I will do for them,
for I will never abandon my beloved ones.”
Closing Prayer:
God of love and mercy, embrace all those whose hearts today that overflow with grief, unanswered questions and such a sense of loss. Grant them space to express their tears. Hold them close through the coming days. Help them, Lord, to feel the intimate closeness of Your Presence. These prayers we offer in the Name of Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
