Isaiah 12: God is my salvation Despite God’s judgement and wrath, He is a just God and a merciful God. As a father gets angry with his child, disciplines him, corrects him, and gives him a hug, so God does this perfectly with us. If a parent never disciplines his children, their disobedience continues to grow and the further they get lost in darkness. May we thank God for the rod he gives to us when we drift away from him. God uses the times when we are low to bring us closer to him. It’s especially in times of despair and sorrow that we finally give ourselves over to him. May we find our trust and salvation in God. Also, may we not forget him during the good times. “Make known his deeds among the peoples and proclaim that his name is exalted.” Work in me Lord, your Holy Spirit, that I may devote my life to serving You both in times of trials and times of plenty.

Isaiah 11: The Spirit of Jehovah and the peaceful Kingdom The spirit of the Jehovah, Wisdom and understanding, Counsel and might, Knowledge and the fear of Jehovah, When we read in the New Testament of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples and believers, these attributes are what is given. May we also pray for these. Wisdom to make good decisions. Might and boldness to stand up for what is right. Knowledge of God’s law and his scriptures and application to our daily life. Christ, the Branch of Jesse, was the perfect example of this. Life won’t be easy fearing God, but the reward will be greater than anything we can imagine. The new heavens and earth will be the ultimate peace. I vividly remember my daughter when she was about 3 years old playing at the edge of a lake. As I was watching her, I noticed a small water snake in the grass next to her and warned her about it. She calmly looked at the snake, shrugged her shoulders and replied, “he’s not bothering me.” She continued to play her toys while the snake slithered passed her back into the water. It was a small glimpse of what the new world will be like where there’s no fighting, harm or sin. Just perfect collaboration and peace among people all worshipping God under the perfect rule of Christ. So much time and energy is wasted to combat sin in this world. How little our time and energy is spent praising God. Small local communities working together under the same goal of worshipping God can accomplish much. Imagine the whole world working together without sin! May the Spirit of Jehovah be upon our lives during this pilgrimage and may we yearn for the day of Christ second coming.