Advent Devotional  |  December 4, 2020

“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. Consider all the experiences in life that are near impossible to understand until you’ve lived them. The list would be extensive. Marriage, parenting, losing a loved one, sky diving, going to Disney, getting a hole-in-one, and being jobless are just a few things you have to experience firsthand to understand. Some are wonderful, and others devastating. How would you explain such an experience to someone who has not lived it? 

Isaiah was one of many prophets who proclaimed the coming Messiah. Something unexpected happened to him: he saw the Lord. In Isaiah chapter 6, you’ll find a descriptive picture of his experience. At that moment, Isaiah was commissioned spectacularly and sent on a mission. After kissing a live coal handed to him by a supernatural being, he responded, “Here I am. Send me!”

Being God’s mouthpiece and receiving God’s message requires God’s intervention. “The Lord Himself will give you a sign.” Advent is how God broke into our world. Immanuel means “God with us.” There is no substitute for God’s involvement, and that is why Jesus came. Praise God for His hands-on work with humanity! 

Pastor Dave Mergens