Polaroids and Jesus - Advent Devotional Day 6

Scripture
6 "The wolf will live with the lamb,
    and the leopard will lie down with the young goat;
    the calf and the young lion will feed[a] together,
    and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow and the bear will graze.
    Their young will lie down together,
    and a lion will eat straw like an ox.
8 A nursing child will play over the snake’s hole;
    toddlers will reach right over the serpent’s den.
9 They won’t harm or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain.
    The earth will surely be filled with the knowledge of the Lord,
    just as the water covers the sea.
10 On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious." - Isaiah 11:6-10

Reflection
Have you ever used a Polaroid camera? (Kids- they seem real cool right now. Advanced folks, maybe you used the original kind). I recently used one and, not gonna lie, I expected an “instant result” as soon as that photo popped out. In reality, though, the picture took a bit to develop onto the film. There were dark shadows that I didn’t know if they’d ever lighten up and shapes I wasn’t sure if they’d ever form recognizable figures. Just when I thought I’d never see the full picture (give or take 15 minutes), voila! It all came into view.

I can imagine that the people listening to Isaiah's prophecy definitely did not see the full picture of wolves living with lambs, cows and bears eating together, and the knowledge of the Lord covering the earth. How could this be? How could love, wholeness, and peace exist in a world of such chaos? But, Isaiah doesn’t stop at this picture half-developed. He then introduces the element that changes it all - Jesus. Jesus will be glorious, and his presence will be the sign that everything has finally come into focus.

It may seem like your life is a half developed photo right now. You may be struggling to find peace amidst the chaos, joy within the pain and sorrow in the world. Maybe you have recently had more clarity, and you’re leaping toward a future that finally makes sense as you’re starting to see the bigger picture. Regardless of where you are, Jesus is there with you. He wants to be right next to you, watching your picture develop, and helping you find a glorious dwelling place where you are. We are always developing, and there is always more light to be found and shared with one another.

Prayer
God, thank you so much for this day you have gifted to us, right now, exactly where we are. Help us to strive for growth and closeness to you and to others, knowing that perfection is not the goal. May we recognize the beauty and sweetness of every single moment we are given. Amen.