The Light Appears Before Anything Gets Better
Devotion for Thursday, December 4
Isaiah 2:2
“Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.”
Isaiah received this vision in a time of moral decay, national unrest, and spiritual blindness. Yet God’s response was not panic or immediate judgment. He gave a promise of clarity, a future where His presence would be recognized as the highest place. The people would lift their eyes and come to Him, not because the chaos was gone, but because He had made Himself visible.
This is what Advent teaches us. The light of God does not wait for perfect conditions. It appears while things are still broken. Many want peace to arrive before they re-engage with God. But God often speaks first, then leads. The light breaks into the darkness before anything gets better.
The temptation is to delay faithfulness until things improve. But God’s presence is not the reward for stability. It is the source of it. If you are waiting for life to calm down before you seek Him, you are looking in the wrong direction. Isaiah saw a mountain rising above the noise. That is where we fix our attention.
Reflection:
What difficult situation is making it hard for you to seek God? Take time today to write down what feels unresolved. Then intentionally set aside time to focus on God’s character through Scripture or worship. Let your seeking become an act of trust that His light is already shining.
Prayer:
Lord, You are not waiting for my life to get better. You are already present. I choose to lift my eyes to You today. Let Your light rise above the noise and lead me into clarity. I trust that Your presence will guide me, even before anything changes. Amen.