Prayer: Come Lord
Jesus Come. In the silence of our
hearts, we know the great joy You
bring. Come Lord Jesus Come. In the stillness of our minds, we know the great peace You bring. Come Lord Jesus Come. In listening
for Your voice, we know the great love You bring. Help us this day to listen to Your Voice as
You call us to be Your people. Amen.
Read Isaiah 40: 1 – 5
“Comfort, comfort my people says your God.” (Isaiah 40: 1
NIV Zondervan, 1983).
Comfort. What do you think of
when you hear the word comfort? Sending
someone a special note or card? A
comfortable recliner? A comfortable life
with no financial worries? The word
comfort that Isaiah is using here is to comfort someone out of their troubles
and into joy. This kind of comfort does
not come just from humans but comes directly from God through us.
These
portions of scripture bring
comfort, mystery, and awe to the
people.
Isaiah
is bringing comfort to the people of Israel. During this time of Isaiah, the people are in the last days of the exile
of Babylon. The people hear that
Jerusalem will be restored (their centre
for worship). The Israelites will be
restored. Yet, yet, there is the voice of one calling in the
desert to prepare the way for the LORD,
make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40: 3
NIV Zondervan, 1983).
The people are reminded that God has already brought Moses and the
people up out of the desert in Sinai. The word wilderness means disorder and
chaos. Isaiah tells the people that a
highway is made in the wilderness—in the disorder and chaos of their
lives. A straight path is made through
the wilderness –through their disorder and chaos-- is the path to God.
This
Advent season, to whom will you bring
the comfort of God?
Prayer: Wonderful Counselor, You
comfort all people. You make
straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Your love and compassion gives us comfort in
all of our life. We give You thanks and praise. Amen.
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