“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.”

The prophet Isaiah provides hope for Israel and all mankind when he describes the depths of the Lord’s love and faithfulness by providing hope that is deeper than our sin, faithlessness, and rebellion.

God,

Your love is deeper than what we can see.

You bring life from what appears to be dead.

You promised David that “his kingdom would be established forever”

and you kept your promise in Jesus.

He is the fruit Isaiah speaks of.

He is our hope, our true and eternal King.

We trust your promises to us will never fail.

Even when we fail, you bring new growth, making us strong to bear fruit for your kingdom.

We rejoice in the hope and truth of your restoration and faithfulness as we prepare our hearts for our coming King - our Lord Jesus.

Amen.