Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

When Isaiah looked at the world around him, he didn’t see a story that seemed close to redemption. He saw corruption in leadership. He saw people wandering from God. He saw injustice, idolatry, conflict, fear, and uncertainty about the future. In many ways, Isaiah ministered in a world that feels strangely familiar to us today. Yet in the midst of all of that darkness, God chose Isaiah to speak some of the clearest promises of hope the world has ever heard.

Advent brings us back to those promises—not because they’re ancient, but because they’re still alive. They weren’t spoken only for Israel’s day, but for ours. Isaiah’s words reach across centuries and pull us back to the heart of God’s plan: a King was coming. A King like no other. A King who would bring light no darkness could overcome.

Isaiah Spoke to a People Losing Their Way

The world in Isaiah’s time was full of pressure and instability. Nations were rising and falling. Armies were threatening at the borders. People felt stretched thin between fear and false hope. Leaders were failing. Faithfulness was fading.

It was a world that could make you feel like the light was slowly slipping away.

And yet—this is the world God chose to speak His clearest promises into.

It’s a reminder for us:

God doesn’t wait for perfect conditions to speak. He speaks into the storm, not after it.

Isaiah wasn’t telling the people what they wanted to hear. He wasn’t offering a quick fix or a temporary solution. He was declaring what God would do in His perfect timing, even when the present moment didn’t look anything like the promise.

A Child… in the Middle of Chaos

One of the most surprising elements of Isaiah’s prophecy is how God chooses to bring hope. Not through a warrior king riding in with an army. Not through a political shift that makes everything easier. Not through a sudden change in power.

But through a child.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…”

— Isaiah 9:6

If you’ve ever felt like God’s answer seems too small or too unexpected to possibly be enough, you’re in good company. A child didn’t look like the solution anyone was praying for. But God was doing something more than anyone could see.

Because this Child would carry more on His shoulders than any earthly king could:

“…and the government will be on His shoulders.”

— Isaiah 9:6

Meaning:

Your burdens aren’t too heavy for Him.

Your world isn’t too chaotic for Him.

Your questions aren’t too complicated for Him.

The Child Isaiah foretold would carry what we cannot.

Light Breaking Into Darkness

Before Isaiah spoke about the Child, he spoke about the world He was coming into:

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…”

— Isaiah 9:2

This isn’t poetic exaggeration. It’s reality. Darkness in Scripture represents:

• confusion
• sin
• sorrow
• oppression
• fear
• silence
• spiritual blindness

Isaiah doesn’t downplay the darkness; he acknowledges it. That matters. Because Advent isn’t about pretending the world isn’t hard. It’s about remembering that even when the world is dark, God still sends light.

And not just a flicker.

Not a candle that burns low.

Not a temporary flare.

A great light.

A light that exposes everything false.

A light that reveals God’s presence.

A light that restores what was broken.

A light that leads us home.

Jesus didn’t come to decorate the darkness; He came to defeat it.

The Names That Tell the Story

Isaiah doesn’t stop with the promise of light. He gives the Child four names that anchor our faith:

1. Wonderful Counselor

He doesn’t just give advice; He gives wisdom that cuts through confusion.

He understands your questions, your struggles, and your fears.

2. Mighty God

He is not fragile, weak, or limited.

He carries strength that yours no longer has to.

3. Everlasting Father

Not “temporary father.”

Not “once-in-a-while father.”

He is constant, unchanging, steady, faithful.

4. Prince of Peace

He doesn’t merely bring peace—

He rules with peace.

He establishes peace.

He is peace.

These aren’t titles to memorize; they are identities to trust.

When life feels out of control, Advent calls us to remember the One who holds authority over every season we walk through.

Isaiah’s Vision Wasn’t Just for Israel—It’s for You

Isaiah wasn’t simply telling Israel what God would do one day. He was reminding them of who God had always been.

And He still is:

• The God who steps into darkness with light
• The God who keeps promises even when we’re tired of waiting
• The God who works in quiet, slow, unexpected ways
• The God who fights battles we never see
• The God who sends hope when hope seems impossible
• Advent isn’t just a countdown to Christmas.
• It’s a reset for our hearts.
• It’s a reminder that our God keeps His word.
• Where Do You Need Light Right Now?
• As you move through this week, ask yourself:
• Where am I feeling the darkness?
• What promises am I struggling to hold onto?
• Where do I need God’s wisdom?
• Where do I need His strength?
• Where do I need His peace?

Then lift those places to the One Isaiah saw long before Bethlehem.

Because Jesus didn’t arrive as an idea.

He arrived as the fulfillment of a promise spoken through a prophet who saw beyond his moment into yours.

The same God who promised the light is the God who brings it—in your brokenness, in your waiting, in your longing, and even in your questions.

Advent is the reminder that God’s light was never dependent on your strength.

It shines because He is faithful.

And the King Isaiah saw is still coming near.