URC Daily Devotion 31 December 2025

Isaiah 9: 2 – 7

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
    on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
    and the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
    and all the garments rolled in blood
    shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
    a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
    and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
    and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
    He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Reflection

Darkness, and that complete darkness where you can see nothing, allows no light in. It’s impenetrable, it hides everything. So walking in this sort of darkness is hard.

This is an epiphany, a dazzling and brilliant light shines and reveals life.
Birthed in this light is joy and a release from burdens. 

Who has brought this to us? A baby? Ah, but this baby is born with authority. This baby has many titles and many names. But his mother simply calls him Yeshua or “God rescues me”.
We’ve just celebrated the story of his humble birth.

We know that great things await him. 
These won’t be symbols of what we consider great. No palace or earthly throne.
The trampling military boots and the garments soaked in blood are thrown on the fire. A new sort of throne emerges and the fire purges the stain of war. 

This isn’t a Prince of conflict, but a Princes of Peace. 
A new beginning, but a hope that will come at a cost to this Messiah.
Jesus will bring justice and righteousness, but to do so will have to endure injustice. 

The idea of a Messiah who will begin as a baby and live humbly might be anathema to some who expected a warrior, and Isaiah talking about zeal may have fueled their expectations for one who would overturn power.

But this Christ, this Wonderful Counsellor had come to overturn something far more vital – the expectation that God was only for the pious and the devout, the holy and spiritually pure.

Jesus opened God’s arms wide enough to embrace everyone. The humble, the lowly, the forgotten and the marginalised were carried on his shoulders. The same shoulders that carried the authority of a Messiah.

May the God of rescue, bless us and carry us hopefully into a new year.

Prayer

God of justice, righteousness and rescue
lead us from darkness to be children of light.
May the peace that you offer to us
be peace that we share with the world. Amen