The passage speaks to a defeated people who feel helpless. G-d* gives words to comfort and the promise of reversal that will turn dry, uneven land plowable for crops.
Since the COVID pandemic, life has continued to be a challenge. Many of us have felt powerless at the happenings in the world around us. These words remind us that we are the objects of G-d’s mindfulness and love: the Holy One is still at work for us. “Do not be afraid, I am right here!”
How might pondering this promise of reversal and re-creation change our perspective as we look around today? How can they unclog the mental filters that prevent us from seeing G-d at work in the here and now?
Advent can be a time not just for comfort and hope, but also to renew our hearts and re-energize Christ’s light in us to shine, shine, shine!
* The writer of this series of devotional articles uses “G-d” out of respect for traditional Jewish piety regarding the sacred name of the Divine. –Editor
Loving G-d, you are our source of hope and illumination; stir up the light already in me to shine more brightly in my life today. Amen. —