Read Isaiah 11:1-10
Today’s reading in Isaiah 11 talks about a new shoot growing from the stump of Jesse. Can you see it? The Spirit rests upon him; he is clothed in righteousness and faithfulness; a good, right, and equitable judge, a banner of salvation to the world.
We also read of a time when predator and prey will live in peaceful harmony – the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the goat, the calf and the lion, the baby and the cobra.
When Isaiah wrote this passage, the hopes of the people of King David had gone astray. Yet Isaiah wrote of a shoot growing from the stump of Jesse (King David’s father) that would bring new life and hope to the people. Isaiah painted a picture of an upside-down kingdom – one unlike what the people were experiencing. It was filled with peace and hope.
Reading this passage reminded me of a summer afternoon years ago. My nieces and I were checking on the goats. There we were - one niece carefully searching for her escaped frog, me carrying the other niece while crouched down to help search for the frog. About that time, the baby goat climbed on my back, perhaps to help. The scene sounds chaotic, but it remains a fond memory. As I read Isaiah 11 today, I imagined a leopard peacefully joining our search party.
On this second Sunday of advent we focus on Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Do you see the peace of Jesus today?
Maybe you can see Jesus’ peace growing in your life. Stop and thank God for this peace and growth.
Maybe life feels like a stump and you long for new growth to emerge. Ask God for eyes to see where Jesus’ peace is already present in your life. Ask God for new and continued growth in your life.
This week, ask God to continue to reveal the peace of Jesus each day.
Written by Pastor Karen VanGilder
