Advent Devotional: Make Room for JesusNäide

Day 4: Make Room for Hope

When the promised coming of Jesus was foretold in the book of Isaiah, God spoke through the prophet and decided to use several adjectives to describe Himself to His people. They were titles of prestige that displayed the great and glorious Messiah who was to come. They also were titles that offered hope and exemplified marvelous royalty mixed with compassion and wholeness. These promises that were given created anticipation and belief that, when the Messiah came to earth, there would be no doubt of who He was.

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6

Wonderful. Mighty. Everlasting. This passage is a promise that God has given us an incredible gift of hope in His son Jesus. It’s a gift that no one else on this earth has ever been able to give. Jesus’ presence in our lives means we have hope in a wonderful counselor who will lead and guide us. Because Jesus is a mighty God, there is nothing too big for Him. We can marvel at His unlimited strength and find great hope in Him. In times we may feel like giving up, we can trust in the promise that Jesus is everlasting. We are promised that with Jesus, peace accompanies His presence no matter what is going on around us. Those words that Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah are just as true today. Our Savior’s hope is everlasting.

Reflect:

• Which description of Jesus (Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace) resonates most with you and why?
• Which description of Jesus do you have a harder time believing and why?

Prayer:

Today as you pray, go through the 4 descriptions of Jesus in Isaiah and tell God why you are thankful that He shows up for you in these ways.