Jeremiah 33:14-16
“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. “ ‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’ Jeremiah 33:14-16 (NIV)
I’d venture a guess that if I said to you “the days are coming” you’d either go “oh crap” or “Great!” And your response would depend on both your world view and your personality. Do you think the world is a safe place or not? Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? One could also argue it depends on where you are in your faith journey. Is it an “up” time – things just seem to be going your way - life is good? Or is it a down time? Everyone struggles with bad days. Days when maybe you can’t see how the Lord is working in your life. Days, weeks or months even, where you are certain God has forgotten about you. Days when your faith seems to be a very thin vine connected loosely to the branch.
When the Lord says, “The days are coming” God means it in the most positive of ways. God is sending “our Righteous Savior” Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter where we are in our faith cycle, up or down, advent is the season for hope. Hope in the saving grace of Jesus. Hope for better things around the corner, better days coming our way. A new beginning, a life reborn in the promise of Jesus.
I think we tend to forget those feelings of hope and new beginnings the rest of the year. I know I do. It’s easy to get caught up in the “bad days” and forget that Jesus is always with us. The season of hope and new beginnings can start every morning of every day if we but believe.
Questions for Reflection:
- What does advent mean to me?
- How do I find hope for myself? How do I offer hope to others?
- How do I (can I) keep the feeling of Christmas hope year-round?
Prayer:
Lord, the days are indeed coming. Help me to hold the promise of Our Righteous Savior in my heart this season and all seasons throughout the year. Amen.
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