FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18
Jeremiah 23:5-8; Psalm 72; Matthew 1:18-25
In today's first reading, Jeremiah talks about the coming of Jesus as "a righteous shoot of David" (v.5). This is God fulfilling the promise that King David's lineage would last forever. At that point in history, King David's family tree looks completely chopped down, reduced to a stump. But God promises a new "shoot" will rise - and that vibrant, living shoot is Jesus.
Where in your life do you feel like your prayers have gone unanswered? Perhaps you started out with a beautiful, lush tree of faith, but over time, challenges have worn it down, leaving you feeling a bit like that stump. Take heart: This passage is a beautiful promise that God has not forgotten you.
Even when we see nothing but a stump, God is actively working in the roots. God hears every whisper, listens to every sigh, and is already preparing an answer. Just as the ultimate life of the world is brought out of a dead dynasty, God is cultivating something fresh, green and beautiful in your life right now. God’s answers are always worth the wait, bringing forth new growth in ways more abundant than we could ever dream or ask for.
Matt Hayduk
Chief of Staff to the President and CEO
Ascension
Pause
Where do you see new growth being brought forth in your own life this season?
Pray
God of the Universe, Creator of Light and Dark: You have formed us together as one body to proclaim Your peace. Draw us beyond our own narrowness to recognize Christ within ourselves and one another. Help us to choose unity – humility over pride and patience over anger. Make in us Your dwelling place, O God, that we may be worthy builders of Your Kingdom and true instruments of Your grace. Amen.