A Light Has Dawned

She was totally resistant this morning to get out of the car. She did it, but with the saddest, longest face I've ever seen. I think it was probably the long break...and the fact that we had a fun visitor coming this morning. Something about her standing there with her long face, backpack hanging down like a ton of bricks in her hand, and brush in the other, still refusing to brush her hair, made me ask God for blessing for her. As I drove off, I just couldn't help but beg God for blessing of hope, joy, and encouragement for her. She might not know that it was God blessing her...it may come in the form of a hug from a friend, or a welcome from a teacher, or a smile from a classmate, but 'something, God...would you give her something of joy this morning', is what my prayer became. It reminded me of this passage,

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy...You have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor." Isa. 9:2-3

I'm so thankful that when God gave Isaiah this prophesy about Christ, that it was a message of encouragement. That the reason why He was willing to give up His precious Son, was so that we could live with joy. That we could have our yoke shattered and our burden lifted.

My little longing for her, made me think about how great His longing for us must have been. How completely shadowed our lives are without Christ, and how God must have just yearned so greatly for us to live in light. So greatly, in fact, that He had to bless us. He had to send His Son, because He could no longer stand us to live in darkness. He could no longer endure us "living in the land of the shadow of death". And thus, "unto us a Son is given." (Isa. 9:6) So often in church, we start at that part, but the reason why He had to come, is told in those verses just before. So that His people could be rescued from that "bar across their shoulders. From the rod of their oppressor."

Even though my five year old little girl doesn't realize that's what He can do for her right now, my prayer is that one day, she will see. And that in the mean time, I can be a living example of living in "great light". What other way is there for us to live? We are those whom He has given that dawning of light! We are those whom He came to increase our joy. When I live in a place of fear, defeat, and worry, I only shadow the greatest light that has ever been given. It made me remember this post from a dear friend, written almost a year ago.

I'm excited to enter into this Christmas season with great joy, and once again remember the great light that was given for us.