Monday, December 4
Isaiah 10:12-27a, 33-34 and 2 Peter 1:1-21
I admire and appreciate the seasonal changes of the Midwest. This time of the year brings forth transitions in our environment—the temperature, daylight, colors, and clouds. As foliage become mute and store energy to survive the depths of winter’s cold, it is with peace that I await the coming of Christ. And while the sleepy Newborn of Bethlehem may seem as fragile as a tiny sprout barely surfacing the soil, today’s Isaiah text reminds us of His omnipotence.
See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One (Isaiah 10:33-34). Our all-powerful and mighty God, who shapes and colors the rhythm and vibrance of every season, most certainly also knows and understands the nuanced needs within each of our life’s seasons as well. In Advent, therefore, we eagerly anticipate all that His presence will bring—the infusion of new life and hope, the transformation of every landscape, the glimpse of future glory eternal.
Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever’ (I Peter 1:8, 23-25).
Within this season and every other, I am blessed beyond measure, and I recognize this as we near colder days. The myriad impacts of harsh weather on those less fortunate is another humbling reminder to keep my house in order and to love and pray for my sisters and brothers in Christ. While the fall foliage fades and remnants of summer’s harvest wither and die, we are grafted to the tree of Jesse and to Christ. Trusting in God’s faithfulness in all He does provides the warmth only offered by heavenly hope.
BROOKE JOHNSON
Associate VP of Academics
About this series
“God With Us: the uncommon advent 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.