by Desiree Bustamante

Came the fulfillment of God’s promised Savior.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:1-2 New Living Translation

The glorious hope of the people of Israel that their kingdom would reign forever had come crashing down. United under David, the Kingdom split in two when David’s son Solomon died. The Northern Kingdom then fell when Assyria conquered God’s people. The Southern Kingdom survived the Assyrians, but the Babylonians decimated it, the city of Jerusalem, and any hope Israel had that their Kingdom would be saved.

Yet Isaiah prophesied God’s promise of a future king who would be born of David’s family line—“a shoot from the stump of Jesse”— as their future hope. God’s judgment rained down on Judah and there was nothing left but a seemingly lifeless “stump.” But God promised to retain a remnant of Jesse’s family to carry on the bloodline of King David. What seemed to be dead and decaying would shoot forth new life in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

All hope was gone from the hearts of God’s people, yet there was a glimmer of hope, the promise of God that a new day was coming. We are blessed with the fulfillment of that promised Spirit-filled Savior. We are His children who now have hope, peace, joy and love because Jesus was born out of God’s promise. He comes to you this season to restore your heart and soul through His life, truth and love.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado