Isaiah 63:7-9

“I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,

because of all that the Lord has done for us, and the great favour to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” vs. 7

When the people returned from exile in Babylon they found that the land of their dreams had been devastated. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and their beloved temple had been burned. But they had long memories, and sitting in the ruins of their city they remembered the gracious deeds of the Lord, and they dared to dream that they would one day again be the beneficiaries of God’s mercy and steadfast love. That’s what we’ve been doing through these last weeks of Advent. In many ways they are a recitation of what God has done. We’ve remembered the birth of a Savior who was called by the name Emmanuel, (God is with us), and now as we move on in the Spirit of Christmas we dare to hope for signs of God’s continued presence. It may be that we’ve seen some rough times. And now it could  be that we’re glimpsing some positivity. That’s a good feeling for the dawn of a new year. We can certainly count on God for mercy and forgiveness, and with that,  healing and restoration, and maybe even a whole new beginning!

Thought for the Day: What positivity am I glimpsing?