December Devotions and Doodles – December 1
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased its joy.
The people have rejoiced before you
as they rejoice at harvest time
and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.
4 For you have shattered their oppressive yoke
and the rod on their shoulders,
the staff of their oppressor,
just as you did on the day of Midian.
5 For every trampling boot of battle
and the bloodied garments of war
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
December 1 Devotional: A Great Light
One of the things I love about really great books, movies, and television shows is that the writers include moments really far into them that wrap back around to something that happened near the beginning. That surprise moment when everything that has come before suddenly makes sense.
Doctor Who, The Sixth Sense, and The Count of Monte Cristo
This is what makes the Stephen Moffat show run of Doctor Who so exceptional and transformed viewers into a universal fan cult. It is what caused people to audibly gasp when they realized what The Sixth Sense was actually about and imbued the quote “I see dead people” with all kinds of modern meaning. The revenge plot of Alexander Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo that twists and turns on itself and define this incredible literary classic.
The Bible
The Bible is the best and most defining example of this. A book that is actually a collection of 66 books that are woven together with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit into a story arc of the a Creator’s love for His creation, their rejection of Him, and His eternal plan for their redemption and restoration to His loving arms.
The Coming Messiah
Though there are many topics that thread through the Bible, but the most impactful is this idea of a Messiah. A kinsman redeemer, a King of the Jews, and Savior for the world. Early in the Old Testament, we see prophecies foretelling of this coming One. The Israelites talked of and hoped for His coming. They looked for the signs that had been foretold time after time.
Isaiah’s Great Light
In today’s reading from Isaiah 9, we read one of the most famous sections of Messianic prophecy.
For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
The dominion will be vast,
and its prosperity will never end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. Isaiah 9:6-7 (CSB)
And all of this starts with this statement:
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
a light has dawned
on those living in the land of darkness. Isaiah 9:2 (CSB)
A Great Light
A great light. In the land of darkness. Jesus, the Light of the World. He is the Messiah, sent to save the world from sin and reunite all of creation with its Creator. And, He didn’t look like what they thought the Messiah should look like. In the twist of all twists, the Messiah came as the simple son of a carpenter, born in a stable. He would fulfill all the prophecies and yet the leaders of the Israelites would not be able to see the Great Light right in front of them.
Will you let the Great Light into your life today?
Action Step:
Today, this December 1, take a moment to reflect on the areas of your life that tend to darkness. Let the Great Light that God sent to this world shine into those areas. And then, let’s reflect that Light with acts of kindness and love to light up the dark world around us.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for Your incredible Son, who is the Great Light of the world. Help us to let that Light flood our hearts and lives, overflowing to the people around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Drawing Tutorial: December 1 – How to Draw a Candle
- Draw two vertical lines.
- Add a wiggly line at the top of the two lines and an unfinished oval above that.
- Add a vertical line for the wick and a large teardrop shape above the wick-line.
- Draw a small teardrop inside the larger one.
- Ground the candle with a plate by adding 3 curved lines: 1 to connect the bottom of the two vertical lines, the next an unfinished oval close to the candle, and the third an unfinished oval further out from the candle.
Check out the December Devotions and Doodles Series page!