Advent Devotion • December 7

Saturday, December 7, 2024  


Today's Scripture
Isaiah 35:1–10

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
he unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (NRSV)


Reflection

Once during a poetry discussion some friends and I were recounting our experiences with snow. This sparked a memory of Christmas Eve 2017 in my hometown church when it began snowing while the congregation sang “Silent Night” as the sanctuary was lit by candlelight. The snow continued until the city was blanketed under seven feet of it and a state of emergency was declared, but I’ll always remember how magical it felt to see the snow begin to fall during my favorite moment of the Christmas Eve service.

My hometown is once again buried under a barrage of snow that began the night after Thanksgiving. Another state of emergency was declared, and the city has effectively been shut down for more than a week. Last Saturday, in a fleeting period of time when the snow stopped and the officials briefly reopened the interstates thanks to the hard work of those braving the storm to clear the highways, I was able to escape back to Chicago.

Although my mom and I were upset to have my trip home cut short, I will use this passage from Isaiah and that memory of the snowy candlelit 2017 Christmas Eve service to remind myself that we “shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” and that peace and togetherness will come again.


Prayer
Dear God, you know the prayers of our hearts, even when sorrow and sighing feel easier than offering words of praise. Be with us in this time of expectant hope as we wait for everlasting joy. Amen.


Written by Katrina Buchanan, Editorial Associate

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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