Day 15 Advent Devotional | December 18th

Pastor Ryan Mulvaney   -  

Isaiah 9:2

“The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.”

Two summers ago, we surprised the kids with a family vacation. We didn’t give them all of the details, but we told them that it’s pretty far away but it will be worth the wait. We drove through the night and they woke up the next morning in anticipation, only they didn’t know where we were. We pulled up to a city park to meet some special people and the kids discovered that both sets of grandparents were joining us on this special vacation. They were so excited when we finally all pulled up to the hotel we were all staying at. There were pools, games, and all kinds of fun activities. However, the big surprise was a few days later, we all went to Disney World! The kids were so excited about all of these fantastic surprises, it was definitely worth the wait!

Prophets like Isaiah foretold of a time that was coming. That time was going to be worth the wait. A time when the light, a symbol of hope, would shine brightly over the spiritual darkness of the world. Of course, Jesus is the Light in that spiritual darkness to whom Isaiah was referring. He is the hope that was promised thousands of years ago. A Gift that was worth waiting for. The great news is that we are no longer waiting. Jesus is alive and shining His light in a dark land, and He uses us to share this gospel gift!

Christmas is a time to celebrate the Light coming into the darkness of the world. This season, remind yourself of this daily; our hope is here. It can be easy to get caught up in the festivities, food, and gifts. Be sure to take time to reflect on the reason why Jesus came. Share this gift with your friends, kids, or grandkids.

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving us the greatest gift of all. Those before us waited and waited. You have been faithful! Thank you for sending Jesus. Help me to share Jesus so others can come into the Light.