Today is December 9th, in the second week of Advent.
 
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.   
 
Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence, and say Come Holy Spirit.  
 
Today’s reading is from the book of Isaiah, chapter 60.  
 

“The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” 
 

The king of peace comes to us as an everlasting light, an everlasting glory. And yet, as we wait for the Coming of Christ, we still live in ‘days of mourning’. Can you bring all of your emotions to the Lord today in prayer… from feelings of brightness to experiences of sadness or mourning?  
 
Advent prepares us to celebrate the birth of Christ. And yet even as we behold this King of Peace… we walk through days of mourning.  
 
Take time to talk with Jesus about all that you are carrying today as you begin a shift toward the final week of Advent. What is making you feel weary or weighed down?  

The King of peace says to you: come to me, and I will give you rest. And not a rest that requires us to check out of our daily life. But a rest that we can find, through Him, in the midst of it. Ask God to draw your attention to Him, and to His rest, as you continue through advent. 
 
Come, thou long expected Jesus, 
born to set thy people free; 
from our fears and sins release us, 
let us find our rest in thee. 
Behold, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… 
In the name of the Father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.