Advent · Day 10 · Tuesday, December 8
Be strong, do not be afraid
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the knees that give way. Say to those with anxious hearts, “Be strong; do not be afraid. Look, your God will come with vengeance; with the recompense of God he will come and save you.”
Isaiah 35 is a picture of the desert in bloom. Dry land bursts into flowers, the blind see, and the lame leap. In the middle, God gives his people a job: strengthen weak hands, and tell anxious hearts not to be afraid.
When John the Baptist was in prison and full of questions, Jesus answered him with this chapter: the blind see, the lame walk (Matthew 11:4-5).
Advent is not only for waiting. It is for steadying each other while we wait. Someone near you has weak hands and an anxious heart today. You can say Isaiah’s words to them.
Pray
Lord, you see the people around me who are tired and afraid. Make me someone who strengthens weak hands, and give me the right words. Amen.
Carry it today
Who could use a word of courage from you today?