Advent - Day 19

Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
    and rely on their God. 
But now, all you who light fires
    and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
    and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
    You will lie down in torment.

Isaiah 50:10-11
Full Readings: Isaiah 50:10–11, John 12:34–36


I googled, ‘where can you find hope’. Here are some of the responses.

The first link had these two suggestions:
  • Believe you can achieve your goals. ...
  • Reflect on past success. …

Psychology today said:
  • Find a clear path.
  • Look for role models who have found solutions.
  • Do what you know you can do.

What do you notice? All humans look for hope in life, it’s part of what keeps us going. We are all looking for light in the darkness. But where do we find it?

Will we find our hope in God as we were designed to? His Word is a lamp unto our feet but will we follow the way of the lamp posts, the way lit up for us by Scripture? God’s designed path of hope. Sadly, for most, the answer isn’t to look to God’s light, but to make torches of our own.

Google says - in either ourselves, or those around us. Just as God said through Isaiah, we are all trying to find our way by the light of our own torches. And there’s a reason I reckon. The beauty of living by the light of our own torch is that we can go our own way. And we can take the glory. I did it! I did it my way!

But the problem with torches of our own making is that they run out. They don’t last the distance. To reject God’s lighted path is to choose to fall into the pit of darkness.

How do we follow His light? Jesus is the light who has come into the world. He is the bright shining torch of God. If we follow Him and put our hope in Him. Then we will not stumble. Instead, we will follow His way all the way into the light of the Kingdom of God.

For Today:
  • Have you tried to make your own torch? Find your own way?
  • Is Jesus your light? Are you putting your hope in Him?
  • What would it look like to follow His ways today?
 
Pray:
  • Praise the Father that He is the God of light and hope. 
  • Give thanks for Jesus, the light of the world, who shows us the way through the darkness. 
  • Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others follow Jesus and live in the light.
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