Isaiah 11:6-9 (NRSV)
Read Isaiah 11:6-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 6The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Verse 7The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. Verse 8The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. Verse 9They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Devotion
Amid the racks of Christmas cards picturing snowy scenes and penguins in holiday dress, one can sometimes find cards showing the lamb and the wolf, the calf and the lion in a posture of peaceful co-existence. That scene is as rare as the prophet’s vision in this text. In ordinary life natural enemies do not rest quietly in each other’s presence. But the coming of Christ, anticipated in Isaiah’s vision, is no ordinary event. It is the surprise of God’s grace breaking into our world.
Prayer
Holy God, gracious and good, you come to us in ways we don’t expect and give us hope for a world we have not known. We pray today for all those who live by Isaiah’s vision, including those who work for peace in our own neighborhoods and around the world. Place Isaiah’s hope in our own hearts. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.