Isaiah 11:1-10
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord, and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 11:1-10 (NIV)
Oh how glorious a picture this prediction paints! I love the visions it creates and the hope it gives. I have always wondered how I would react if Jesus came back to earth now and spread the word in person. I pray that I would believe and accept and "delight in the fear of the Lord," and not be one of the wicked who get slain. The fear that I might turn a deaf ear or sarcastically say, yeah, right, of course you are the Lord, haunts me. Jesus' work on earth was certainly glorious and transforming. Perhaps in the light of the wonder in his second coming we would not have to doubt and question as we do with other parts of our life, but simply have faith and understanding that He would give, and follow as we should.
The wondrous thought of predator and prey coming together and living in joy and peace is a gift we strive for! I am reminded of when my children were very young and unafraid and unaware of dangers that might be right around the corner, and what a helicopter parent I was, trying to make them aware and keep them safe. What a relief it would be if we could live in the comfort of knowledge that He rules the earth and there are no pitfalls waiting to destroy us. In Finding Nemo I remember the shark chanting, "Fish are friends, not food!" I believe God will get us to that place for everyone in time, and we won't even have to convince ourselves, it will be a blanket of knowledge and acceptance that covers us because He is over all. I believe God is not done with us yet!
Questions for Reflection:
- Is there some small way each of us can move toward ending strife in our world? If we begin with small steps, can we begin a movement that gains speed and grows outward to help many more?
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to spread faith and love throughout the world. Forgive us when we stray and give way to our human condition. Please continue to lead us in the right direction and give us the strength to help others who need us. All glory and honor to You, Lord Jesus! Amen
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