Isaiah 40:9-11 (NRSV)
Read Isaiah 40:9-11 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" Verse 10See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. Verse 11He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
Devotion
I listen to Handel’s “Messiah” every Advent. Not once, but at least once a week. The crescendos that accompany this song reflect the swell of confidence that comes when we know we are carried in the arms of God’s grace and mercy. This is one of the most powerful promises in the Bible. Though we wait, we know that God’s good news will break open something new in our lives. What is the deep longing that you hold out for God to embrace?
Prayer
Stir up our hearts, O God, and prepare us to recognize the way in which you enfold our lives in your gentle care. We remember those who long to know such comfort, especially those who struggle with addiction, those who are lonely and those who go unnoticed in this world. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.