Today's Scripture:
Isaiah 11:1-10 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD— and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Reflect: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
I have seen in my life the power of God’s transformational work. He has rebuked me when I needed to be taught something, but He has never left me. He constantly invites me back into more and more of Him. He never leaves me, and He will never leave you. In this season of Advent, as we wait upon God’s timing, I know He is doing something good. He is growing faith, hope, mercy, and love in us. He is doing this because He is a good God and He wants to work through us. His timing may not always be ours, but God is always working out His good plan.
God is calling each one of us to bring every bit of our lives to Him. If we are far from Him, pray that God will show us how to move closer. If we are walking closely with Him, pray that God will show us even more of Himself. Christmas is a season of miracles, so let’s look for the miracles of transformation He is already doing for us.
Read: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
This is a prophecy that Jesus fulfills. These few images show the radical change we experience through the long-awaited Messiah, who is Jesus. The Lord had before struck down the proud, like trees, and here God is growing something out of a seemingly dead stump. We see the characteristics of the Messiah through the Holy Spirit’s movement. Finally, we see the reconciled world, shown in nature and people. All this is because of the triune God we worship and serve.
Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
Please pray “Dear Lord, we are so grateful You love us so much. Thank you for not giving up on us. Thank you for pursuing us, even to the manger, and even to the Cross. We ask you to seal this Scripture in our heart that we will always remember a life with You makes a difference. Help us to move closer to You and help us to invite others to do the same. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
About Julia Leeth:
I have the great privilege of serving you and the Lord as Senior Pastor. I have great family and friends, and a spirited cat named Houston “Huey.” I have served at Grace Church now for almost three years. It has just flown by!!