Advent in Exile - Christmas Longing With IsaiahSample

When I think of God's love and what His love has restored within me, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of JOY. Feeling grateful for my Heavenly Father's gift of unconditional love brings inner joy, a joy I am not the author or creator of. How do I hang on to this joy, the JOY of my Lord and Savior? How do I sustain HIS JOY!? The answer...I don't, HE DOES.

As I read Isaiah 54, I was struck by the first words of v.1 from the Amplified Bible "Shout for joy, O barren one..." Joy-->barren, these are two opposite ends of the emotional spectrum! Being spiritually barren, or empty, can bring about the greatest of sorrows, yet God is telling me to shout for joy!?? YES! He is most definitely telling me to sing out praises of joy and gratitude, for if I choose, I can accept the beautiful gift of LIFE [Light] directly into my heart. Songs of triumph are powerful! Spiritual barrenness is broken by the power of worship. Our worship has the power to bring new birth (evangelism) into our congregations. Worship is a mighty force to influence the lost and bring new birth.

Just like Jesus appeared in a barren season of Israel's history, so He will in our barren seasons. In fact, as His children, this scripture is illuminating the path which we can take to find our way back to abiding in His Joy-->Worship!

Because of Jesus, because God gave us His Son, we have the choice to accept in faith that He has already fully and successfully taken our punishment upon Himself. But, those who reject Jesus as Savior and choose to stay in darkness, also reject His provision and must bear the full penalty of their sins.

Dr. David Jeremiah paraphrased John 3:16-21 commenting, "God gave the most extravagant thing He could to demonstrate His love for lost humankind, summoning and sending His only Son to pay the debt for sin. Jesus' arrival on earth in order that the world might be saved is good news--except for those who do not believe. While God loves everyone, not everyone accepts that love. A light exposes what hides in the darkness. The most fundamental reason that people reject Jesus is not because they fail to understand the gospel but because they do not want to change. They love darkness rather than light."

"In Light of this Advent Season, what is your heart longing for?"

-Ardena Hamill