Advent
Advent is a time of waiting and anticipation, a time when we dare to look forward with hope as we allow the peace, joy and love of Jesus Christ into our hearts, and perhaps this year in particular, when we have all experienced so many challenges and times of uncertainty, we need to know these in our life more than ever. At a time when we approach the shortest day of the year and therefore the darkest time of the year, Advent allows us to look to the light of Jesus Christ and in that light we find not only hope, peace, joy and love, but clear reminder that through His Son and by His Spirit God is with us and always will be. So as we journey through Advent let’s invite Him afresh into our lives and know His presence with us each and every day.
Read Isaiah 9:2-7
As we allow these verses to reach into our very heart and soul what do they actually say to us?
- In our times of darkness, whatever form that may come in, God has promised to shine His light upon us. A message of hope if ever there was one.
- It will be a time of joy, a time for rejoicing in what God has done.
- This light will be revealed to us through God’s own Son and all things will be laid upon His shoulders.
- Look at the ‘name’ given to Him – Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Even here, before any notion of the Trinity came into being, we have this idea of God the Father and God the Sone being one and the same.
- This light will be everlasting, there will be no end. (Remember what John says in the prologue to his Gospel.)
All too often in times of despair and despondency we can feel as if our sorrows will never end but in these few verses we are reminded that our Lord is always with us and if we can hold on to that, then even in our darkest days we can know the hope, peace, joy and love that God has given to us through His Son.
The question is – as we journey through Advent how will we respond to this message of God offered through Isaiah?
Will we allow the Son of God to enter into our hearts?