Today is December 15 in the 3rd week of Advent.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.  
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence, and say Come Holy Spirit. 
 
Today’s reading is from the book of Isaiah, chapter 29. 
 

In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?
18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness
    the eyes of the blind will see.
19 Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20 The ruthless will vanish,
    the mockers will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—
21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court
    and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.
22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob:
“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
    no longer will their faces grow pale.
23 When they see among them their children,
    the work of my hands,
they will keep my name holy;
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding;
    those who complain will accept instruction.”
 

Isaiah 29 offers a vision of hope and transformation. God promises that what feels barren will become fruitful, and what seems hopeless will be renewed. The deaf will hear, the blind will see, and justice will be restored. Even the complainers will experience understanding and change! This passage reminds us that no situation is beyond God’s power to redeem. As we enter into prayer today, how do you find yourself? Are there situations in your life that feel ‘beyond God’s power’? Hold that before the Lord.
  
Hope in God is a key marker of Christians. There is not much in this temporal world that can give us true hope, or eternal hope. But hope in God will never disappoint. Advent is a season that helps us practice the Christian discipline of hope. Listen to the text again and consider that over the ages, God-followers have had to live in a place of expectation and waiting.

“once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” Where do you experience a sense of being needy right now? Where do you see the needs of others? What can you do this week not only to pray, but to help meet needs? Of yourself, or of others? Ask the Lord as we end our time of prayer to draw near to you in your own places of desperation, and also to lead you to be responsive to His spirit in meeting needs of those around you.
  
…
 
Come, thou long expected Jesus,
 born to set thy people free;
 from our fears and sins release us,
 let us find our rest in thee.
Behold, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome in…
In the name of the Father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Music: "Christ The King" - Heaven and Earth Worship