Isaiah 9: 1-4 v 3 “You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest.
That time of darkness will not go on forever. There will be a time in the future when Galilee will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. A light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest. The heavy burden will be lifted from their shoulders.
As a teenager when all the good stuff seems to be just out of reach, I began reading my horoscope to see what the future would hold. I soon realized that the generalization in a horoscope were not for me. That to be defined by my date of birth restricted me in finding out who I was. This passage however is a compromise between future expectations and real-life wonders. It is comforting to read that darkness will not last forever. That in a small town will be the start of something amazing. And who wouldn’t be thankful for a bright light in the dark? To grow the numbers of the church is always what we are striving for. The real life images of the harvest are easy to imagine. That bountiful time when gardens are overflowing with vegetables and flowers. Rejoice today in the light of Christ as you imagine the harvest that is to come in 2023.
Prayer: Holy God open our eyes to the wonder of your love for the world as we imagine the bountiful harvest that will come from our work in 2023. Amen.
CrossWalk 