Read:
Isaiah 11:1-5
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
Jeremiah 33:14-16
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
Ponder:
Day after day, year after year, the people of Israel hoped for the King that was from the lineage of David. Their hope was washed away, again and again, by unfaithful kings. When it appeared that the hope of the people of Israel was to be washed away completely, the voice of the prophets spoke with renewed hope. God’s promise of a great king from the line of David remained. One day God would provide a faithful shepherd for God’s people. He would rule with wisdom, power, knowledge, and justice. He would be the Son of God.
Pray:
God of hope, you have given me a wise, powerful, just King. As I meditate on the gift of Your Son this Advent season, I cease all things for a moment to thank You for giving me a King, your Son, Jesus. I can completely entrust my life to Him and Him alone. Thank You.
