Can you believe that we are in the season of Advent already? What are your expectations for the holidays this year? If you are like many, your Thanksgiving was very different this year. Large family gatherings and travel to someone else’s house for the holiday was very discouraged. Black Friday was a big day for shopping as always, but there were no rushing crowds, no overnight sleepers ready for the big deal in the morning, just folks spending a lot of money online. People I’ve talk to here are not approaching Christmas with much excitement at all. Expectations are pretty low. I spent some time this week thinking about the expectations that the Jews had for the arrival of the Messiah. The very first Christmas. They had extremely high expectations, as we learn in our passage today. I’m going to spend some time this week in the blog talking about those expectations. For now though, realize that even way back then, high expectations were seemingly dashed. There were some though who recognized the Messiah who came, and were greatly blessed by Him. The key was being open to the reality that God often has different plans than we do, and that those plans far exceed what we were expecting, even when it seems totally otherwise. I would invite you today to spend some time remembering when you expected one thing, received something totally different, and found yourself surprised by the blessing. See you tomorrow.
Lord Jesus, often our expectations are too high or even too low. Help us to see our lives through your eyes even when it’s hard to do so. Amen.
Isaiah 11:1-9
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 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—
3 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 might 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. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lay down with the goat, calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest . They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
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