Today’s devotional is offered by Caroline Joyner.

For a child has been born for us,
a son is given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
-Isaiah 9:6-7

One of the themes for Advent is hope, and it seems we are always hoping for something. Whether it is a better financial situation, a vacation, our team to win a basketball game, or something special on our Christmas list, we all hope for something.

For thousands of years, the Israelites hoped for the fulfillment of prophecies that foretold of a Messiah that would come and would be the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. This Messiah is a perfect, sinless, lamb, and is God incarnate. The promised child will sit on the throne of David and would rule over an eternal kingdom full of righteousness and justice, something that could not be accomplished by any other king on earth.

The promise has been fulfilled through the birth and resurrection of Christ, and we now have a new hope. The hope is that one day, Christ will return to us and we get to see him atop his eternal throne in heaven where every tribe, tongue, and nation will confess that Christ is King. This hope is something in which we can find assurance.

We are not promised a better financial situation to come, or a tropical vacation in the coming year. We definitely aren’t promised that fancy new iPhone X will be sitting under our tree on Christmas morning. However, our hearts are created to long for eternity with the all-righteous King. And we will find that eternity through the fulfillment of His promise with the birth of our Messiah.

So, during this season of Advent, what is your heart hoping for?

Prayer: Dear God, today I come to you expectant. I come to you with a hope that I know will one day be fulfilled. I know one day hope will no longer be needed because I will see you face-to-face seated on your throne. Sometimes I feel like the Israelites and feel like I am waiting and longing forever. Give me guidance during those times of waiting and remind me of the beauty of what there is to come. Amen.