Thursday, December 8
Isaiah 24:14-25:12, Obadiah 1-21, 1 John 2:15-29
Tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplant – these were all wonderful treasures from my backyard vegetable garden this year. When I was harvesting the last produce from my garden, I reflected on the similarities surrounding the season of Advent, our mission at Concordia, and my experiences in gardening. Every gardening season, I work the soil, plant the seeds, carefully water the various plants, and hope for lots of new growth. During the Advent season, we renew the seeds of spiritual growth and nurture our faith through God’s Word. We rejoice in the gift we have been given to share the good news with our students as they continue their journey and grow the mission in the world.
As I wait for my plants to emerge and blossom each summer, I can sometimes get discouraged because I do not see immediate results. This same disappointment can enter into our daily lives. God provides encouragement for us in Isaiah 25:6-8. Outdoing any earthly garden harvest, God gives us a glimpse of heaven to keep us focused on him. Over the dark, cold and sometimes long winter months, gardeners must summon patience – knowing that spring always comes again. While we wait in joyful hope during Advent, we all are reassured by God’s promise of the gift of Jesus that is to come.
My goal each year in the garden is to actually grow too much produce – an over-abundance that I can freely give to others (I’m still working on it!). Yet we have this with our Lord and Savior Jesus – whose life, death, and resurrection offers all of us the ultimate harvest of heaven. This is truly worth the wait.
Isaiah 25:6-8
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
SUE KNAUS
Student Life, CUW
About this series
“Advent Anticipation: the arrival of our Savior” is a sampling of biblical meditations composed by members of the CUWAA community. It is our prayer that you will take time during the Advent season to read and reflect upon God’s Word and await the coming of Jesus with newfound enthusiasm and anticipation through the Holy Spirit.