Advent 9th December

"Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;

And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist." Isaiah 11:1-5

Reading

Psalm 34,
Isaiah 11:1-5, 
Luke 21:25-36

Reflection

Throughout Advent there is an evident sense of longing. It’s a theme that  we can all relate to.

Written in our hearts is a longing for things to be made right – the way they are supposed to be. At the point when Isaiah prophesied, the rebellion of God’s people was leading to their great downfall. But in the midst of ruin, God brought hope. The Davidic dynasty was decimated but God promised that “a shoot would spring from the stem of Jesse.” Jesse was David’s father and this prophecy to Israel promised that there would come another ruler from the line of David who would judge in righteousness and faithfulness. God’s work with his people was not finished. His promise to Abraham would not be broken. God’s people longed for a return to the glory of their kingdom but the promises of God delivered them so much more. The One who came from the “stem of Jesse” did not restore Israel’s kingdom but rather inaugurated the Kingdom of God. What are our longings?. Do we have a longing  and a  desire to be reconciled to God Himself. Any fulfilment outside of a restored relationship with Emmanuel (God with us) will leave us empty and wanting more. Our hope and our true longings are met in the Christ Child— the Holy Child of Bethlehem .

 Prayer 

Loving God. 

As I continue this Advent season, open my eyes  to see in new ways the delight and wonder of your love. In the darkness help me to see the promise of light and peace. 

In the cry of the hungry help me see the possibility of a world where all are fed. 

In my own yearnings and weakness help me to see the hope of Christ. 

And in the eager anticipation of the coming of Jesus, 

may  I embrace the dawn of a new heaven and a new earth. Amen