The cub and the calf will lay down together

 Isaiah 11:1-10 v 7 “The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow.”

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot- yes, a branch bearing fruit from the old stump. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest in Him. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. So, the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

There is order in the words of the bible that follow “the laws of nature.” Anyone who has walked through a forest has seen a shoot growing out of a stump. Then the words go on to describe someone who is governed by the Spirit of the Lord. Who delights in obeying the Lord. And then we see a world transformed. Animals who should eat meat eat hay. Animals that normally eat each other lay down with each other. And so in this picture we see how loving the Lord transforms us and the world around us to be a better place. Look around at your family today and see the good that is normal and then look for the love of the Lord expressed in the things that have changed beyond your expectations. Look at the bigger picture of the world for areas where changes are being made beyond expectations and find God at work there too. Tis the season to look for God’s transforming work in this world.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for the amazing things that you do in this world, for gifts received around the world that help those in need. Open our eyes to your love in the world today. Amen.