“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of His roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

“He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins.

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The suckling child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

“They shall not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

“In that day the root of Jesse shall stand as an ensign to the peoples; Him shall the nations seek, and His dwellings shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend His hand yet a second time to recover the remnant which is left of His people.” (Isaiah 11: 1-11)

God loves you so much.

Be strong and courageous, fueled by your confidence in God’s love. Do not live in fear, dreading what tomorrow might bring. Recognize and take comfort in God’s nearness. Realize, in your hearts and minds, that God the Father will never, ever leave you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31: 6)

The prophets of old continue to reveal that God always — always — keeps His promises made to mankind.

God loves you deeply and without end.

Love always wins.