December 1

Jeremiah 33:14-16

¹⁴ "'The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. ¹⁵ In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.'"

A Period of Renewal and Blessing

by Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”

In this season of Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the joy of Christmas and join together in anticipation of the celebration of Jesus’ birth, we turn to the Bible for its teachings concerning hope. Jeremiah 33:14-16 powerfully conveys the Lord’s covenant with David — the promise that a descendant of David would rule over the people of God as their king.

During my reflections on this scripture in recent days, I have tried to imagine a place of hopelessness that is anything like the people of Jerusalem must have felt during the time of this prophecy. Their land was under attack and was sure to be overtaken. By comparison, my own concerns and challenges feel small, but in the midst of them, it is sometimes hard to give up control to our God who is big enough to handle all my burdens. This scripture is an assurance of restoration and hope when we turn our gaze to God’s abiding promise.

As Christians, we can rest in the hope of Christ by the knowledge that, like those who came before us, we will forever “dwell securely” in Christ’s eternal love. Year-round and especially during Advent, we celebrate the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, that the savior he named “The Lord is our righteousness” has indeed come into our lives and transformed our world.

I join the Baylor Family in giving thanks to God for the daily restoration of our souls in Christ. God continues to abundantly bless Baylor University, empowering our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends to impact their communities around the world in remarkable ways.

I pray that this Advent will be a period of renewal and blessing for you and your family. As Christmas nears, and we collectively seek out the Star of Bethlehem, let us embrace one another in love and care for those surrounding us as Christ’s hands and feet in the world.

About the Author

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., is the 15th president of Baylor University, having served in that capacity since 2017. During her tenure as president, Dr. Livingstone has overseen the development of Baylor’s new academic strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds, which builds upon the successes of Illuminate, the previous strategic plan, for Baylor’s aspiration to become a preeminent Christian research university.

Enhancing the University’s academic enterprise has been a key priority of Dr. Livingstone’s leadership. She is animated by a desire to build upon Baylor’s historic strengths and increase undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities while expanding the University’s service to the surrounding world through research and scholarship. She is also deeply committed to strengthening Baylor’s Christian mission while maintaining the University’s historic Baptist roots.