For the remainder of this reading plan, we will spend the Sundays before and after Christmas lingering in the longing, waiting, and expectation of the season by reading a short passage from Scripture.
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;
the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly
and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
—Isaiah 35:1–2
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80 thoughts on "The Second Sunday of Advent"
Lord you are good!I will trust in the Lord all my days and I will be satisfied with you Lord cause you know what’s best for me all of my good days out weigh my bad days I won’t complain I will not get weary but I will trust in the Lord always and forever and Lord I’ll be satisfied with you! I know you got me! Hallelujah! Some trust in horses sone trust in chariots I choose to trust in the Lord who has never left me! I’m satisfied! I’m satisfied! I’m satisfied! Glory!
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I’m in the desert and it was so comforting to hear the reminder that even the dry blossoms with the Lord.
I’m in such a slump professionally in my business I needed to hear that even the dry can blossom. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness.
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Lifting you up this week, Lehua!
i love that “no one is good at suffering” thank you. it’s easy to feel alone and hopeless but you’re reminder to come to God helped me today❤️
M
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I love this song!!!❤️❤️
I’m slowly catching up on the readings…
thank you for praying for me, my hormones, and my husband’s salvation <3
This season has been a whirlwind and at times, it's also felt incredibly lonely. But I know God is with me. Sometimes it's a struggle but I strive to hear His gentle whispers throughout the day in the midst of the noise and busyness. I've been working on renewing my mind daily and spending more time in God's Word, in devotionals, Abide meditations to help me sleep.. it's like a hunger to stay full of spiritual resources and around encouraging people, because otherwise I'll distract myself with worldly things and toxic influences. I've also been longing to serve at one of our holiday service projects at church but for some reason it's been difficult to get ahold of someone to join in. Praying that I will connect with someone soon. Blessings to you all for a lovely week.
I did want to share with all of you ladies this morning.
“There is one thing that all of us sufferers share in common, no matter how big or small our pain: none of us are good at suffering! None of us has the ability to endure hardship with hope and joy. But the secret to slowly becoming a hope-filled, joyful sufferer is shockingly simple (not easy, but simple). I go to God. Again and again and again. And again.”
This is from the book “In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God” by Colleen Chao.
I would recommend this book to anyone who feels overwhelmed by the journey they are going through.
I know that God is always with me and I will not be shaken for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. (Psalm 16:8)
Thankful for your safety Jennifer Loves Jesus.
Blessings to all. ❤️
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Love this on advent Sundays.. ♥️
Heidi dear sister I am praying for you. GramsieSue I am so happy for your new granddaughter! Sisters please pray for our family to find reliable and safe childcare, we found a good daycare but the baby got so sick within the first three days he was there I got nervous and pulled him out! Now we need to figure out what is best for him and us and I have no idea what to do. Thank you so much
I grew up in the Lutheran church. We had a large advent wreath near the front of the church and ceremonially lit a candle each week while we sang a verse of that song”Lo How a Rose Ere blooming”.I love that song because of advent. I’m glad that song found its way to you and blessed you
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Happy Second Sunday of Advent ❤️
My boyfriend and I finally made it to church today. I have always loved church in the season of Advent and really enjoyed going today. It reminded me that I need to make the effort to go, not just in this season, but all of the time. Sending prayers for all of the requests today!
@Heidi praying for you! I too am in a season similar. I feel just feel empty or maybe frustrated. Don’t ever be sorry for being raw and honest. This is a special season but it doesn’t mean you don’t have your stuff going on. Praying for you to have a good week and feel the Holy Spirit.
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In the book is a song titled “Lo, How Rose E’er Blooming”, until today I had never heard of it. I googled it to listen to it and it is a beautiful song but very mellow and slow. It reminds me I need to slow my life down.
Be blessed and slow down and “take time to smell the roses,” sisters.
I love that God can bring fruit and his purpose out of the driest of seasons.
Good morning, Happy Sunday She’s!
Church was really good today for the second Sunday of Advent! It was on the “Gift Given.” Today was the Peace of the Savior Jesus Christ. The peace was taken away in the Garden, the Paradise, after the first sin. It caused the peace to be disrupted, the paradise to be no more. It is often so hard to have the Peace of Jesus but is the one thing that can not be taken away. We have the longing for that peace in other things, but all those can quickly be snatched away so suddenly. We strive. We are anxious, we search for all the wrong things. The Christmas season will end, our job changes, a relationship crumbles, our home gets destroyed by a hurricane. The things we think are our Paradise, our peace, is forever heartbreaking in the reality…..the dry land. BUT GOD, oh but God, He sent his Son to redeem the lost, to bring us to the paradise that He wants us to have…how amazing is that. This Christmas, as we long for a paradise, the perfect Christmas, the perfect gathering of family, the perfect Christmas feast….turn our eyes to the Prince of Peace. Amen and Amen.
@Heidi- Prayers my friend, you got this. Take a deep breath, enjoy the transition, it is going to work out for you. God has great things ahead beyond the cloud and storms. I still think of how you were ferociously there for your niece, so we know you have a lion’s spirit, well, you have the HOLY SPIRIT in you! You don’t back down and get tangled up in the devil’s ploy for your loved ones, so the same applies to you. The devil is just trying to attack you now to disrupt your plans for emerging yourself for the Glory of God, he is not liking that! Roar in his face, he is nothing compared to what God is going to do!
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Sitting in my Jesus room praying for restoration in my family. May He establish the joy that only comes with restored hearts full of Him.
@Heidi I can relate to your post so much. I’ve definitely been “there”. Ten years ago everything I’d built up just kind of didn’t work out (from relationships, friendships to career and investments). It was during this time that I felt “pruned” by God. One of the verses that helped me was Isaiah 40:31. He WILL renew Your strength. Yes, times like these can be tough and the picture isn’t always clear(some of mine still isn’t). However, that season allowed me to lean and trust in the Lord like never before in my life. I believed in God and trusted Him – yes. But the past 10 years have built this unshakable trust and belief; I KNOW Him like never before. So, while I don’t know your exact situation, I do know that it can sometimes be disorienting when we can’t see where things are going. The one thing that brought me peace is knowing that if God is for us, who can be against us?(Romans 8:31). He’s got you! And when nothing seems right, just exhale and say “I trust in you God”. Sending prayers and love! ❤️
@Sue D Just prayed for you, your son and his family. ❤️
Thank you all for sharing…I love the testimonies of what God has done – and the ones of waiting for what God has not yet done. We wait in hope with you, and we appreciate your raw authenticity. xo
Once again, Churchmouse, you have spoken what many of us are living. Thank you for emphasizing that no matter what we feel/don’t feel, God is with us–always. He is unchanging as we are changing to become His image. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Churchmouse- thank you for your post. It encourages me.
I recommend looking up the “crocus” flower from this passage. It makes the simile even richer!
Heidi and Sue may I recommend listening to the 5 minute video on YouTube called the Ache of Advent? I think it would be timely. It is an excerpt of a sermon given by the amazing Bethany at Bridgetown Church. Blessings.
Praying Heidi!!
Heidi and Sue I am praying for you this morning. Your vulnerability is a blessing for us all.
“The wilderness and the dry land will be glad….They will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.”
Such encouragement for so many of us that are struggling.
Keep hoping and keep your faith.
Prayers lifted for Sue D, Heidi, Kimberly Z, and many others of you.
I wish we could post pictures here…I have some sweet ones of my new granddaughter ❤️
Hugs to all ❤️
Several years ago I felt I had lost the joy of the Lord. I was doing all the church things but felt alone, unseen and even dismissed by God. It was as though He had spent enough time working on me, with me and through me and had now moved on to someone else. I was joyless for an entire year. I didn’t know why and I didn’t know its purpose. I plastered a smile on my face. But it was a dark night of the soul every day, all day. It was a period of lamenting. I cannot pinpoint a breakthrough moment but there most certainly was one. It crept up on me quietly, almost imperceptibly. Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac came to mind. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, the embodiment of God’s promises. Would I remain faithful and trusting even though my joy became a sacrifice? Hindsight yielded insight. The still small voice of God returned and it was all the more welcomed and valued. And I know that should the joy fade again, I am not abandoned. He is with me. He sees me. He holds me. I learned that faith can stand firm when feelings falter. Which bodes very well for me in the future. I no longer call it my year of joy lost. I call it a year of confidence restored. Whether I feel joyful or not, I am His beloved. That never changes.
Second Sunday of Advent! I love this season of being grateful for His birth and anticipating His return. Annie F. Downs has a podcast called, That Sounds Fun, and she is doing an Advent series. On November 24, her guest was Father Mike Schmitz. He shared that during advent he thinks what if I knew that on December 25 I would wake up dead. How do I want to live this advent season? Who do I need to forgive? Who do I need to ask for forgiveness? How would I pray? I love this idea of focusing on what are the most important things during this season. If you are interested go listen to Annie’s podcast.
Sue D. Praying for your son and your family. Heidi, praying for a renewed heart towards the Lord and that He would give you direction. Kayla, praising God for your new leadership in church. May He bless all who worship with you today. Anna, continuing to pray that God would bless you and your husband with a baby.
Faith is the theme for this second Sunday of Advent. It is what fuels our progress toward perfection, toward our perfect Christ. The thirsting belief in the Living Water can only be quenched when we drink solely from the Source. “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Jesus in Luke 18:8). I wonder with a longing heart of yes. What do I thirst for? Healing of bodies and relationships, peace, beauty, friendship… and as I think about what to list next, I realize each of my thirsts reveal the reality of the wilderness and dry land described in Isaiah 35:1. But it “shall be glad”, and it “shall rejoice and blossom”. This is the Promised Land to come, and we have been given a glimpse in the already of Christ. My faith in the not yet is quenching my thirst now. Thank You Father for faithfully providing a fountain ever flowing with grace and mercy, goodness and hope, water for the desert, provision in the wilderness. Let every light that twinkles and every jingle bell remind me of this joy. Until… Maranatha.
Praying with you.
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Second Sunday of Advent! I love this season of being grateful for His birth and anticipating His return. Annie F. Downs has a podcast called, That Sounds Fun, and she is doing an Advent series. On November 24, her guest was Father Mike Schmitz. He shared that during advent he thinks what if I knew that on December 25 I would wake up dead. How do I want to live this advent season? Who do I need to forgive? Who do I need to ask for forgiveness? How would I pray? I love this idea of focusing on what are the most important things during this season. If you are interested go listen to Annie’s podcast.
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I second this Jenny—I think I listened to all of the versions I could find this morning, and his was my favorite! Lots of good instrumental versions too.
I’m sorry for your pain Heidi. Asking the Lord to be with you in this pain and to guide you. Most of all that His presence would be felt.
Lord I desire to see your Glory! I am in a dry parched wilderness right now and I need your river of life to flow through me!
Praying for your family.
Jill, praise the Lord! So grateful you wrote this as I am in a wilderness season and have been feeling unheard for quite a while now. God’s silence has been deafening. Your testimony is encouraging! Thank you so much for sharing! This gives me hope!
Praying this morning for your son and his family ❤️
Ms. Sue D.—I am praying for you this morning. This is a struggle that is close to my heart. I am praying today for your son and his family. Sending you a big hug.
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My goodness this is so hard! I am praying for him right now and for all of you that the Lord continues to comfort and strengthen you as you walk alongside him.
I was in a dry land for sometime and feared I would never hear the voice of the lord again.. these last couple of weeks God has clearly made himself visible in my life.. he has blessed me so much by answering a couple of very specific prayers…he answered them just like I asked.. I know this was his way of saying I am here and I hear you when you pray.. I can’t tell you how loved I feel knowing he reached out to me, so blessed and thankful. I know our prayers don’t always get answered how we want but I know God wanted to show me he was there and I feel so thankful and loved!! If your in a dark place keep praying, keep talking to him, he is there, trust in his love and wisdom. Have faith God is who he says he is.
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Lifting you in prayer Heidi! You have described feelings I have had many times and I resonate.
Praying for your son and his family, Sue D. And praying for you as you struggle with the hope and wait.
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May his favor be upon you and behind you and beside you. He is with and is in you. HE IS FOR YOU! Rest at His feet today! Blessings!
Day 1 as a new worship leader for a church in NC!
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My brother is also an alcoholic, I know all too well how alcohol can destroy lives. I will be praying for your son!
Love and hugs to you. Know these seasons don’t last forever and that rejoicing and clarity and direction will come again. He is unchanging; worth our praise; faithful and merciful. He holds your disappointment and longing even when it feels He isn’t there. ♥️
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Praying now Sue❤️
Praying for you Heidi, that as you continue in prayer and study of God’s Word, He makes your decisions clearer, and lets you know you can trust Him even when you don’t understand.
I am asking this community of believers to pray for my alcoholic son. He has an amazing godly wife and my only 3 grandchildren. But he is prideful and doesn’t think he needs help. He is destroying his family and his life is breaking his dad’s and my hearts. They live 1000 miles from us so it’s hard to help other than pray. I believe God is in control, but am getting weary waiting for a miracle.
Amen
(Sorry..!! That may have been a bit “raw” for an advent-Sunday morning… ;) And, it’s how I’m feeling and trying to process through it so thanks for your patience with my not-so-Christmas-Joy-response…✨❤️✨)
Heidi-I hear your pain. You are not alone, I will hold you in my heart and prayers. ❤️
“The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;”… if I can relate to feeling like anything at this moment it is a wilderness and dry land… I feel dry, empty, lonely and painfully confused. I’m looking to Him and His promises and I’m grateful for my salvation and the grace He’s freely, given. There is a gladness in that- absolutely. AND- simultaneously, in my physical day to day life, I’m really struggling for the “glad”. I have zero direction where I thought I had a full picture. I’m confused, empty and lost. I honestly don’t even know what to pray for today. I will pray gratitude for who He is, I will speak praises to what He has done, I will have respect for the One who is Lord over all things past, present and future.
And… I still have no practical direction or answers for what has been going on and it’s just painfully disappointing…
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Soon all will see You, JESUS, and know You are the Lord.
Celebrate the Lord today Shes.
Blessings to you all
I’m so grateful for the expectations of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen