Advent Devotions

Day 3 – The Root of Jesse

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.”
(Isaiah 11:1)

Israel’s royal line looked finished. The great tree of David’s house had been cut down by invasion, exile, and failure. But Isaiah sees something others miss: a shoot, small and green, pushing up from the lifeless stump.

This is the promise of Advent:

God brings new life out of what seems dead.

In our own lives, we may face what feels like spiritual stumps—relationships cut off, dreams faded, faith grown tired. But the God of hope is never done. Where we see an ending, He sees a beginning. Where we see a stump, He sees a seed.

This “shoot” from Jesse’s stump is none other than Jesus Christ—born in humility, anointed with wisdom, bringing justice and peace. Isaiah also declares “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him…” (v.2) - “The wolf will live with the lamb…” (v.6)

Advent invites us to look again at the barren places—with faith. Because the kingdom of God is growing, quietly but powerfully, in hearts, homes, and the hidden places of the world.

In an old monastery garden, a tree had been struck by lightning. The gardeners left the stump for years, assuming it was dead. But one spring, a tender green shoot appeared—small, defiant, alive.

It reminded the brothers of Isaiah’s words: “A shoot shall come up from the stump of Jesse.”

Sometimes God does His best work in what seems beyond repair. Don’t underestimate the power of resurrection in God’s timing.

Grow your kingdom in me, Lord of Advent hope. Where I see only endings, plant new beginnings. Let your Spirit take root in my heart and bear the fruit of peace, justice, and love. Amen.