The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
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.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9: 2-7
In times like this, when politics inside and outside the church are turbulent, when leaders don’t seem like people we can trust, when elections and referendums divide nations against themselves, when we’re involved in war, when conflict splinters apart leadership structures, when riots and revolutions take place, when we find ourselves in conflict with our neighbours over how we voted, it can be easy to get caught up in it all. It can be easy to give in to anger and bitterness, and to fear over what will happen and what the future will look like. It can be easy to lose hope.
But here’s the thing.
We live in the hope of the ‘now and not yet’.
Our reading today talks about both. The ‘not yet’ hope is the knowledge that things will not always be like this. Isaiah’s prophecy speaks of God’s promise that Jesus will one day reign over a kingdom of justice, joy, freedom and peace; the things used in battle will be burnt up, no longer needed. While things may look very different today, we have the sure hope of a better future.
But we don’t just have hope for the future.
There’s also a ‘now’ hope.
Isaiah’s prophecy doesn’t just look to Jesus’ return, it looks to Jesus’ birth and life (700 years in the future for Isaiah). Jesus healed the sick, set people free, and provided for people. The Holy Spirit is at work right now doing the same. Our God is able to miraculously intervene – and we should expect and pray that He will. However, He doesn’t always do so.
Our ‘now’ hope includes this possibility of divine provision and protection, but it doesn’t depend on it. While God does have His hand on our lives, on countries and churches, it is also true that things don’t always seem to work out perfectly. (Though, for the record, let me say that God uses these things for His glory despite and through the brokenness).
Our hope is not in what Jesus can do for us, it is in Jesus himself; He is the prize and the destination.
When we turn our eyes upon Jesus and seek him, our situation may not change, our politicians may not reform and our governments may not make good and godly decisions, but we will have an unshakeable and certain hope. Let us remember that, while it is good to take all this other stuff seriously because it is important, putting our hope in it can lead to disappointment and fear, allowing it to become all-consuming can prevent us loving our neighbours who have different opinions.
This season of advent, as we prepare our hearts for Jesus, are there areas of worry and fear which we need to trust God with? Are there people we need to forgive and love, no matter what we think of their stance on something?
Take heart, dear one, we have unshakeable hope in Jesus despite the world, the relationships, the health statuses which rock around us.
He is sufficient.
He is more than enough.
Sometimes turning your eyes to Jesus might be a you-can-barely-turn-your-head-you’re-so-hurt-or-angry or a running-full-tilt-at-him but, no matter how small the step, know that as you look to Him, He meets you with deep love and sees the deep places of your heart.
