Dear Friends,
We are in the midst of Advent, a season of great hope and expectation. The Love that came for us so very long ago continues to beckon our hearts today. I have been following Louis Giglio’s daily devotional for Advent, “Waiting Here For You,” and I would like to share my favorite reflection from this past week.
At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus was reading the promise of Isaiah 61 when He turned to the people He was preaching to and said, “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” (Luke 4:21)
Jesus was saying that He was the One who could set the prisoner free. He alone would lift up those who had been trampled by circumstances and shattered dreams. He would give the blind sight again.
If we are filled with disappointment and grief today, or blinded by anxiety great or small, Jesus is where the healing begins. If our life has been reduced to ashes, we need to grasp the hand that the Lord is reaching out to us today. Jesus wants to rebuild and restore what we have lost. He wants to give us something greater than we can ask for or imagine. That is something He alone can do. (Adapted from Week 1 Day 4)
[He will] bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. (Isaiah 61:3 NIV)
God Bless you on your Advent journey,
Donna
