Advent devotions: Dec. 15, 2017

Friday December 15

Isaiah 52:3-10 Israel is redeemed

For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. For thus says the Lord God: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is despised. Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore on that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.

How beautiful upon the mountains
   are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
   who announces salvation,
   who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
   together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
   the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
   you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
   he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
   before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
   the salvation of our God.

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The prophet Isaiah reminds us in these verses of how God heard the cries of his people and led them out of exile in Egypt. Then later he redeemed Jerusalem and eventually “bared his holy arm before the eyes of all nations.”

Today the good news for us comes in the form of the birth of God’s son Jesus. As we prepare to celebrate this great event let us be aware of the gift of salvation given to us because of his birth. God is still hearing our cries and is still leading the way as he did with the Israelites. He fully gives his love and promise of salvation “to all the ends of the earth.”

Prayer: Thank you Father for the good news and gift of the birth of your son Jesus. Be with us as we celebrate his birth and all that it means for our lives. Amen

Dee Lockshiss