There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

His delight is in the fear of the Lord,

And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,

Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,

And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,

And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,

And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

Isaiah 11:1-5

Isaiah prophesied that a rod would come forth from the stem of Jesse. This was an acknowledgment that life would indeed spring forth from barrenness. This would become a call to insistence over hundreds of years of seeming silence and defeat. The people of God had to choose to believe that He would send a redeemer to them. We must live with the same insistence. He came in the manger, and He is coming again. Let us spend this season of anticipation holding onto that truth and making preparations in our hearts to be ready for the soon coming of our King Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord, today I invite you to show yourself strong in places that feel empty. I speak life over situations that seem stagnant, hopeless, or barren. Help me remember what you have already done, and stir up faith in me to stand firm in the knowledge that You will continue to be faithful. You never fail. Amen.