“The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid . . .
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain. Isaiah 11:6,9

I find comfort in the words of Advent. Ancient promises of God continue to speak to an aching world. A world that yearns for hope, when bitterness surrounds us.

I relish a vision of wolves and lambs lying down together in peace, and a time when there is neither hurt or harm on all God’s holy mountain.

I think of the promise of light shining in all the dark corners of our world, as Isaiah wrote.

“The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.” Isaiah 9:2

We yearn for light to shine in the places of hurt, uncertainty, loss and fear. Light that guides when we cannot see the way . . . Light, that calms our spirits . . reassuring  us that in the midst of a temporal world, God is here.

Written centuries ago, still these words give me hope, and quiet my spirit . . .. Reminding me that we are not alone in this world. We have a God who loves us and cares about us, who has come to be among us in Jesus, especially when the days are dark and nights terrify us.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, as we begin our Advent journey, may these ancient words take root in our hearts. Grant us grace to see your hand working in our world, even now. May we be among those who work with you, for the world you envision, in your reign among us. Amen.

Daily Devotions and other Christmas resources can be found at this Link – Devotions for Advent to Epiphany