Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence.
The peace of the Lord be with you.
If God is the creator of all that exists, who would better understand and know how things work? That is precisely what our reading today from Isaiah is trying to point out. God the creator of life, who made everything that exists, is saying: look listen to me and you will find great fruit in the life that I have given to the world.
Unfortunately, we know that that isn’t how it works — we get distracted, we forget, we get filled with ourselves at times and what we think we know — but from the beginning, God has provided everything we need and He longs to give us instruction about how to find happiness.
Advent is a time when we can again reassess, and re-commit ourselves to listen for His quiet, still voice. As we approach the beginning of the third week of Advent, may we discover that true joy comes from a thankful heart, a prayerful soul, and a willingness to be guided by the One whose way is perfection.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.