“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1

When our lives appear barren, Isaiah tells us to never underestimate the power of God, to send out a branch of new possibilities.

Hope is that precious gift that tells us, in whatever difficult place we find ourselves today, the possibility of a better tomorrow exists. We hope, knowing God continues to be at work in our lives for good. Hope tells us, painful as the present moment may be, life continues to have purpose and meaning.

The prophet Isaiah was gifted with the ability to shape profound thoughts into poetry, and  create word images that resonate with the human soul. Isaiah touched on our universal yearning for peace, tranquility and a life where justice is real.

Writing of that day, he says:

The wolf shall live with the lamb;
    the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed together,
    and a little child shall lead them.
 
The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
 
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
    and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.

They will not hurt or destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:6-9

These words, written millenniums ago continue to speak to our hearts. We yearn for that place of harmony, when war is no more, people can live without fear, and all creation is blessed.

We yearn for a time  when the earth will be filled with “The knowledge of the Lord.”

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