No More Gloom

No matter what you are dealing with today, we ALL need the same thing: to turn our eyes upon Jesus. We need to look to Him, to behold Him, to set our mind on Him, and to get His perspective for our day, our trials and our future. It is with  this in mind that we enter into Isaiah 9 with great delight.

Ask the Lord to help you behold Christ’s glory as you read this passage. Pray with the psalmist that God would open your eyes that you may behold wondrous things from His Word this day (Psalm 119:18).

Read Isaiah 9:1

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

There is a direct reversal of situation from the last verse of chapter 8 to the first verse of chapter 9. From distress, gloom and deep darkness to NO MORE GLOOM. This is a message of hope. Israel had experienced painful judgment for their sins. The Assyrian invasion wiped out much of Israel starting with Zebulun and Naphtali’s territory. But it is into this very place of judgment that God will enter in. It is in this very place where He will bring redemption and hope. This land that was utterly decimated? He will make glorious.  But why? Because they are deserving? No.

Because He is a God of grace.  

Is there an area of your life where you feel gloom? Anguish? Darkness? Is there a medical condition that darkens your days? A family member that is far from the Lord? An anxiety or fear about the future?  Take these cares to the Lord realizing that He is the one that is able to speak into these situations. He is able to bring His light and hope.

And the Lord wants to bring an unshakable hope. He does not just want to bring a change in your circumstances. He wants to offer a solid, unbreakable, ‘never going to leave you’ hope. He desires to enter in.

That’s exactly what He does in our passage. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali, the dark, despised, rejected land, bordering pagan nations, is where the light was going to shine. God the Son was going to enter into small, humble, broken, dark, lowly, shady, insignificant Galilee.

For anyone feeling small, broken, lowly and insignificant…this is who Christ comes to…this is who He ministers to…this is who He transforms from small and insignificant to a beloved daughter fit for glory.

 What stands out to you in today’s passage?

 *Devotions will be posted Sunday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday until the week of Christmas.