Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40.1-11

Scripture

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

Observation

“Comfort Jerusalem, speak tenderly to her,” says the Lord.

He promises someone coming through the wilderness preparing the way of the Lord.

People are short-lived like grass, but God’s word endures for ever. Yes the Lord is coming, and He will rule over His people with power and gentleness.

Application

Hope is a force for life. When we lose hope and feel abandoned, we believe that life has no value.

Today I watched someone crumple before my eyes as a person in authority laid out a bleak future for her. He was laying out the worst case scenario- possible but unlikely. We spent the afternoon speaking to her words of hope and an alternative future,

For the people of Israel, the wrath of God smashed all hope for the future. The prophets painted a picture of hope, because the reality was that God had not abandoned them. Forced to a place of punishment for sin, God continued to love His people.

Christmas is a time of hope for christians as we celebrate the unfailing love of God who loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever trusts in Him should have eternal life (John 3:16)

No matter how bleak life seems, we have a God who refuses to abandon us and guarantees eternity to His followers.

That is great comfort for God’s people.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for not giving up on me. Your love never fails, and I will celebrate you today. Amen.