Isaiah 11:1-5
A shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will be delighted with the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, nor will he render decisions based on what he hears with his ears, but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and he will render fair decisions in favor of the oppressed on the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath from his lips, he will put the wicked to death. Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his hips.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Through Isaiah’s prophecy, you promised to send us a Savior. He would be from the line of David, and many would come to faith through him. Your Spirit would be on him since he was your only begotten Son.
While that promise was made and kept long ago, some might say these words are outdated for modern times; that is hardly the truth. Jesus came to give us counsel that is even more relevant today when the world seems hate-filled and on the verge of catastrophe. We cannot change the world, but we can trust in you.
This means we look to the one who went to the cross to suffer in our place. He does not judge by what we see or hear but by what he knows is in the heart. For those who are oppressed by their sins, he lifts them up. No one can out-sin Jesus’ forgiveness, and his mercy comes to each person by faith. Faith does not give us a license to sin; instead, faith creates a change in the heart of each believer, a change that causes us to love you and others.
So, we pray that you will send us your Holy Spirit to cause changes in our hearts, strengthen the faith of your believers, and begin faith in those who do not believe. Let your word work in our hearts so that we know and trust your love and mercy. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
God’s word is never outdated; his love and mercy are meant for all. He promised a Savior to rescue us from sin and fulfilled that promise through His Son. Whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life and salvation. This message bears repeating regularly.