In today’s Advent reflection, we read Isaiah 11:6–9 and are reminded that while the world around us is still deeply broken, God’s ultimate plan is nothing less than the full restoration of creation itself. Isaiah paints a picture of a redeemed world where wolves lie down with lambs, danger is gone, and peace is the natural order again — the exact opposite of what we see now. From Genesis to Romans to Revelation, Scripture tells the same story: sin shattered not just humanity but all creation, and God is working toward a day when everything is made new. So as we move closer to Christmas, we live as people of hope — trusting that the future God promises is more real than the brokenness we see today. We don’t stick our hands in snake holes, but we do live unafraid, looking for goodness, standing on God’s promises, and remembering that one day, everything Isaiah describes will be fully, beautifully true.

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Good morning, y’all. It’s good to be with you on this Monday morning as we get a little closer to Christmas.

I’m looking over at the calendar on the other side of the office, and… well… we’re about two weeks out. It’s coming fast. So if you haven’t done your Christmas shopping yet — or if your spouse hasn’t done your Christmas shopping yet — you might want to get on that. Amazon may not be able to save you at this point! Christmas is almost here.

I’m thankful Holly handles the Christmas shopping in our house, because as I’ve told many of you before, if it were up to me… everybody would get socks. Socks and maybe a stick of bubble gum. That’s about the extent of my creativity. So praise God for Holly.

But it is good to keep moving toward Christmas together.

Today we’re continuing in our Advent devotional — the one we have available here at St. Matthew’s. If you haven’t picked one up yet, I encourage you to come by and grab one. It’s a great guide, and I’ve really enjoyed reading it and reflecting on it with you in Rooted each morning.

Today’s reading comes from Isaiah 11, verses 6–9. Isaiah, as you know, is full of some of our favorite Messianic passages — “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The suffering servant: “He was pierced for our transgressions… by His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah is rich with prophecy about who Jesus is.

But today’s passage isn’t just about the Messiah Himself. It’s about what the Messiah’s perfect Kingdom will look like.

Let’s read it together:

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Isaiah 11:6–9

The 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.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand in the adder’s den.
They 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.

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This is one of my favorite descriptions in Scripture, because it gives us such a clear picture of God’s ultimate plan.

Let’s step back for a moment — all the way to Genesis.

In Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve fall into sin, the curse doesn’t just affect them. It affects everything. Humanity is broken, yes — but so is creation. The ground is cursed. Work becomes toilsome. Childbirth becomes painful. Death enters the story. Everything is disordered.

Then go to Romans 8, where Paul tells us that all creation was subjected to futility — not by its own will, but because of the fall — and now all creation groans like a woman in childbirth, waiting for redemption.

So the fall didn’t just break people. It broke the world.

And then go forward to Revelation, where we see a new heaven and a new earth. God’s plan was never just to save individual souls — His plan is to redeem everything sin has corrupted.

Isaiah 11 is giving us a picture of that redeemed creation — a world fully restored to God’s design.

And let’s be clear… that’s not what we see today.

Today, a child sticks a hand in a snake hole — that child’s getting bit.
A wolf lies down with a lamb — that lamb’s becoming dinner.
A lion isn’t eating straw like an ox — he’s looking for a good steak.

This vision Isaiah gives us — this is not how things are today.

But it is how things will be.

And that matters, because it’s easy to look around at the way things are right now and lose hope. It’s easy to think:

“Is this ever going to change?”
“Is this just how the world is now?”
“Is it always going to be broken like this?”

But Isaiah says, “No. This isn’t the final word. This isn’t the end of the story.”
There will be a day when the world is set right again.

And here’s the key for us:

We need to live today as people who believe that day is coming.

I’m not saying go stick your hand in a snake hole — that’s not on my agenda either — but I am saying:

Live with hope.
Live unafraid.
Live looking for the good in others.
Live as if God’s future is more real than today’s brokenness.

Because as we pray every Sunday:

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Today Isaiah gives you a snapshot — a promise — of what will be.

Write it down.
Hold it close.
Let it shape how you live.

Don’t live beaten down by fear or despair.
All creation groans — yes — but all creation is also waiting for redemption.

And friends… so are we.

Let’s live like people who know what’s coming.

Because one day — one day — what Isaiah describes will be fully true.
And when that day comes… oh, what a day that will be.
When our Jesus we shall see.

Thanks for being with me this morning.
I look forward to continuing our Advent journey together tomorrow.
Have a blessed day.