Thursday, December 21

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”

Every year the twinkling lights on houses and the familiar carols on the radio renew a sense of hope and wonder in my soul.  Just as Isaiah spoke of a dead branch that would bear fruit, the birth of Jesus Christ gives us hope in tomorrow where we might only see impossibility.  Throughout the Bible and in our daily lives we have seen numerous instances where Christ has taken a hopeless situation and allowed it to bear fruit for the glory of God. This holy season should remind us of the hopeful and wondrous love God has for each of us in Jesus.  Each day offers opportunities to bear fruit and I pray that we keep our eyes open to see them, and our hearts open to receive them during this wondrous Christmas season and all year through.