Day 5 of Advent

“Then a shoot shall grow out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him – The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and strength, The Spirit of knowledge and of the [reverential and obedient] fear of the Lord — And He will delight in the fear of the Lord , And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make decisions by what His ears hear; But with righteousness and justice He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth; And He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Isaiah 11:2‭-‬4 AMP

Just when it looked like David’s lineage was dwindling, the Lord reveals another bit if His plan. “A shoot will grow from a stump… And a branch… Will bear fruit” (v. 1). Enter Jesus. This is the hope of the gospel. This is the hope we hold onto when everything seems dim and dreary. Hardships in life are guaranteed, and it seems like it’s always at the most inconvenient times, but HOPE!

Whatever pit of despair, hardship or inconvenience you’re experiencing this season, hold onto HOPE. To quote Kate McCallister in Home Alone, “it’s the season of perpetual hope!!!” Hold onto hope and be reminded of that little shoot growing from a stump that will guaranteed bear fruit.