Advent is a season of waiting. We know the Christ-child has come to us, that the Messiah has already overcome sin and death. But we wait for His return, His second Advent, when all will be restored and made new. When we celebrate the birth of Christ during Advent and Christmas, we remember that our God keeps His promises. He promised to send a Messiah, a redeemer to save us from sin. He did that! He sent Jesus to live a perfect life and die in our place so that we could have a relationship with and eternal life with Him.
“O descendants of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the Lᴏʀᴅ’s guiding light.” –Isaiah 2:5
Isaiah’s prophecies were meant to warn the people of Judah of their need to repent and turn back to the Lord, as well as remind them of the hope they had in the coming Messiah. Though they lived in a time of war, chaos, destruction, and fear (a result, for the most part, of their own sin), their God would not abandon them. He would send a redeemer, the Messiah, who would save them and restore them.
Even though there was judgment to come, God offered a glimpse into the future glory of Jerusalem. The people of God would be drawn to His dwelling place; they would come to the Lord’s temple and follow Him. They had sinned against God and would incur His wrath, but He would fully restore them in His perfect time.
That is the character of our God. No matter what we have done or how we (personally and corporately) have turned against Him, He is the God who restores. He sent His Son as the redeemer of our souls. He is the hope we have, the promise of restoration. When we walk in His guiding light, we see the future hope we have in Him.
The people of Judah were looking forward to the first Advent, the coming of the Messiah. Today, we live in between the first and second Advent. Christ has come, and He is coming again! We live in a broken world, but there is a better one to come. Our God promises to restore, redeem, and reclaim what has been lost.
As we step into this season of Advent, may we turn our hearts to Him and reflect on His character. Though our world is crippled by sin and death, nothing will keep Him from fulfilling His promises. We are still waiting for the fulfillment of this prophecy in Isaiah 2. As we do, may we continue to walk in the Lord’s guiding light, leading us to faith and an abundant life in Him.
Because God has kept His promises in the past, we can be confident that He will keep His promises in the future. Christ promised to return and to restore the world, remove brokenness, and allow us to live with Him. What an incredible thing to look forward to! As we set our hope on Him, we can rest knowing that this promise is as good as answered! Knowing that God keeps His promises gives us hope that He will keep all His promises. He has made us many promises, and He keeps them all.
What are you hoping for today? What promise do you need to see God answer? Keep asking! Keep looking to Him and waiting for Him to answer. He keeps all His promises. Let’s expect Him to answer!
