Hope
Isaiah 9:2-7 (NLT)
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.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
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.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
When one reads this passage, it is hard not to have a sense of awe and wonder! Everything we associate with the Advent season is in this passage.
It unfolds like the opening scene of an epic adventure movie. The expansive land covered in shadow as the “son” rises to reveal a breathtaking landscape.
There is one word that is missing in this passage....HOPE!
Hope is not wishing for the darkness to end; hope is believing that light will replace it. As we have prepared for the birth of the coming Christ throughout our Advent journeys, this passage lists everything we have come to HOPE in.
It reassures us of everything that we have come to HOPE for: This child, this one solitary life that would change the course of humankind. The Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace.
What is it that we have to look forward to if not for the HOPE in Jesus Christ, the light of the world?
I have always been a fan of movies and every once in a while, a writer will put something in a movie that strikes a chord with the viewer (me in this case) that they carry with them, that becomes a core memory.
For me, one of those lines is given from a wise headmaster at a magical school and in that one statement gave a mission to anyone that heard it. “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” As Christians we should be turning on the light of Jesus Christ at every opportunity.
Prayer: Almighty God, we thank you this day for the gift of your son Jesus. We thank you that in our times of darkness we are given the hope of light. We ask that you guide us, direct us, and make us vessels for your light so that we too may share the light and hope of Jesus Christ this day and every day. Amen
It unfolds like the opening scene of an epic adventure movie. The expansive land covered in shadow as the “son” rises to reveal a breathtaking landscape.
There is one word that is missing in this passage....HOPE!
Hope is not wishing for the darkness to end; hope is believing that light will replace it. As we have prepared for the birth of the coming Christ throughout our Advent journeys, this passage lists everything we have come to HOPE in.
It reassures us of everything that we have come to HOPE for: This child, this one solitary life that would change the course of humankind. The Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace.
What is it that we have to look forward to if not for the HOPE in Jesus Christ, the light of the world?
I have always been a fan of movies and every once in a while, a writer will put something in a movie that strikes a chord with the viewer (me in this case) that they carry with them, that becomes a core memory.
For me, one of those lines is given from a wise headmaster at a magical school and in that one statement gave a mission to anyone that heard it. “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” As Christians we should be turning on the light of Jesus Christ at every opportunity.
Prayer: Almighty God, we thank you this day for the gift of your son Jesus. We thank you that in our times of darkness we are given the hope of light. We ask that you guide us, direct us, and make us vessels for your light so that we too may share the light and hope of Jesus Christ this day and every day. Amen
Jamie Jarvis, St. Luke’s UMC, Craigsville, WV jarvisjj@me.com Worship Leader
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