“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3)
In joyful anticipation we gather around the living water, Jesus, longing again for His refreshing waters. Robert E. Webber explains, “During Advent, we turn to Isaiah to hear how God can stir up the water of our dead spirituality and refresh us with a new spring of clear and lively water of life.”
I remember being pregnant with my first son, due at the end of December, during Advent. As I carried him, I traveled with Mary to anticipate the joy of the coming Messiah. I heard verses like, “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) and “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). I was expectant of my own first child, but also of the coming Messiah, who would make all things right. He Himself, the presence of this coming baby and King, would be God with us. He would be a Counselor, mighty and powerful, an Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Jesus was everything my soul was longing for.
Joy comes as we continue to long for the refreshing waters of Jesus. Are you aching for this living water? How are you drawing with joy from the waters of salvation? Are you taking time to listen to your Counselor, Prince of Peace, and Everlasting Father?
Sit with Him. Picture yourself with Jesus. Tell Him of your longing, your aches, and the deepest desires of your heart. In Jesus’ presence is all joy. In Jesus presence is everything we need. When He speaks He changes all things. May you spend time in His presence today, and experience His life-giving joy.
He invites each one of us to draw from His wells of salvation, to spend time with Him, the only source of living water.
For reflection:
- Read Isaiah 12:1-6 again, this time picture God in the various stances it describes: “He was angry, now He comforts, He comes to save me, His is my salvation, His is strength.”
- How do each of those pictures of God lead you to praise Him? How should they lead us to proclaim Him to the rest of the world?
by Kelly Erickson
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