The New Year brings a lot of excitement for some, but weariness to others. No matter where we find ourselves, we have to admit that there are things we are pursuing to find meaning, purpose, and satisfaction that have let us down. This is where Isaiah 55 comes and offers us a beautiful solution: Come and find everything you need in God.

We all chase satisfaction, whether through a job, a career, or a relationship; we are all seeking satisfaction. But in Psalm 90, we find the satisfaction our hearts truly long for in the steadfast love of God. Because unless God satisfies us with his steadfast love, we will spend our days wandering, comparing, grasping, and wasting the brief lives we’ve been given.

"Home" is an idea that has captivated the popular imagination. We all long for home, even if we find it hard to describe. In Isaiah 35, we see a restored vision of God, our home, and our very lives through the long-awaited King.

There are many bitter things we see in our world and in our lives. These things produce a longing in our hearts for something more, something better, and something that lasts longer than our lifetimes. This is where Isaiah's prophetic vision of the shoot and root of Jesse in Isaiah 11:1-10 plays a key role in our expectations of the long-awaited King. Jesus is the righteous king we need, who invites us to live in his renewed kingdom now and for all eternity.

When we think about Jesus and Christmas, we normally think about the baby in the manger. But the image the Bible gives us is one of a conquering king. Jesus came to conquer our enemy, Satan, but he came to conquer our deepest problem: the darkness in our hearts, sin. We once lived in darkness, oppression, and rebellion, but Isaiah 9:1-7 gets us ready for the Triumphant King who has come to conquer the darkness of our lives to give us light and freedom.

We like to plan. But, oftentimes, our planning reflects a desire to be in control of our lives rather than giving control to God. This is the exact spot King Ahaz finds himself in Isaiah 7. Israel and Aram have come against him, and rather than asking the Lord for his help, he has already made plans to go to Assyria for help. It's in Ahaz's example and Isaiah's prophetic sign that we see our sinful rebellion requires Christ to be the present and sovereign king.

Paul's admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 still remains today: Give thanks in every circumstance. But the question before us is how? In Psalm 107, we see the answer is the corporate recognition of God's faithful acts throughout the lives of his people in every circumstance. No matter our circumstances, we must give thanks because God satisfies us with his acts of faithful love, seen preeminently in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

We live in a world filled with injustice. From small slights against our character to systems of injustice, our fallen world is filled with brokenness. But as we see in the example of David in Psalm 7, amid injustice, chaos, and persecution, we should give thanks and sing to God.

How do we give thanks when things go wrong? More than that, how do we give thanks when things go wrong because of our sin? Psalm 79 addresses these very issues. With Jerusalem in ruins and the people lamenting their sin, we see that thankful hearts are born in disastrous times when we seek the glory of God.

Uncertainty is a common problem for mankind. Whether we are waiting for a medical test to come back or we are in a situation outside of our control, uncertainty stirs up fear and grief, causing us to draw away from God, not near to him. Whether we are in uncertain circumstances or not, the call is still the same: give thanks to the Lord. Psalm 56 offers a stunning vision of how uncertainty must drive us to faith and thanksgiving in our trustworthy God.