Meet Caitlin Clyde

My favorite part about Christmas is hope. This hope comes from having confidence in God's promises, specifically that God promised us a Savior and He gave us Jesus. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus show us the goodness of God by fulfilling a promise. This gives hope that He will fulfill His other promises.

God gave Isaiah revelation about His promises. Our passage today talks about the King and the Kingdom that will come. In yesterday's passage, the King ("a shoot") appears to be weak, small and humble, from a heritage ("the stump of Jesse") that looks dead and a family name that seems obscure (Isaiah 11:1). Isaiah 40:9-11 goes on to tell of this King's great qualifications. Jesus has come, and He is that great King! The Holy Spirit and indeed the fullness of the Godhead dwell in Him (Matthew 3:16; Colossians 1:19, 2:9). He comes with might; and He will tend His flock like a shepherd and will gather His lambs and gently lead them (Isaiah 40:10-11).

I don't know about you, but the further I read into this passage, the further away from reality it seems. I don't look around and see perfect safety, security or unity in this world. It's important to realize that we are in the middle of a story that is not done yet. The King Jesus came, His church was formed, and believers were sent out on mission. But the Kingdom that Isaiah tells us about has not yet been established. For now, though, believers are invited to the same mission that Jesus gave His disciples in Acts 1:8, "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." What a sweet privilege! He has invited us to be on mission until His kingdom is established.

Our mission will not fail because God's promises will not disappoint. May our confidence in Him be strengthened by what He has already done. Christmas is a beautiful reminder of God fulfilling His promises in the past. God is not finished. We can have hope that there is a perfect ending to come.