Advent Devotional Week 3
This week we celebrate in Joy the coming of the
Lord. We are reminded of the joy in
anticipation; the joy of the baby Mary was carrying; the joy of a messiah. We are also reminded of the joy in the Advent
season. Although Advent can be filled
with loneliness or we can get caught up in the yester-years; we are reminded
each Advent of the joy still around us and the joy in our hearts. Let us embrace that joy this week for soon it
will be Christmas morning!! This passages might seem mixed up or that maybe I just played Bible rootlet but I assure you that they are all out of the lectionary readings for each of the days. Granted, from the lectionary I did play a bit pick and choose, you maybe go on to any lectionary site and find them.
Joy
Prepare
for the joy of a birth
We
await, as Noah waited for the dove to return with signs of solid ground – in
quiet excitement
God’s
promise to us will be fulfilled
Our
shepherd has lead us thus far
God’s
glory will soon be known
Revel
to us, O Lord, the joy you have instore
Good
news of joy is here
We
are prepared to be filled with joy and receive the promise
Day 15: Isaiah 35:1 The desert and the parched
land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom
‘Rejoice’ and ‘blossom’ are beautiful
words of joy here. Not only will the
people be glad but the whole of the land – all of creation will find joy in the
Messiah. The parched land will be glad –
the dessert will be restored to life. A
metaphor to our lives and a reminder that no matter how desperate life can be
there will be joy in lived life. We can
feel the anticipation for the day to come when the lands will be glad. When all of creation will rejoice in the
Messiah; when all the world will know Christ’s name. This universality of the birth of Christ
rings true even today; when we need as society to know the compassion of
God. When we as people’s need to believe
in the Christ who offers so much more than people expect and brings a joy like
no other. The world is dry of the Word;
the world is in the wilderness walking aimlessly away from God and yet we
celebrate this season the birth of Christ.
This and every Advent/ Christmas season we bring the message of joy to
all those who will hear – and so many will hear! At this time of year we rejoice and our faith
blossoms anew. Share the joy that comes
with your relationship Christ. Share the
Good News!
Day 16: Isaiah 29: 23-24
When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep
my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and
will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who are wayward in spirit will
gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.”
When we see the works of God’s hands
we will stand in awe. Those who are
doubtful will know and others will trust.
Powerful! Jesus reminds us that
blessed are those who believe who have not seen and yet in this passage of
Isaiah, we are told that those who see will acknowledge the holiness. So, do you have to see to believe? Do you have to see to know or to bend in awe
of God? Children do not see Santa and
yet they believe. They are able to
believe in Santa, even when there are problems with the whole story-line: one
guy can go around the whole earth in one night?
Yet they believe. Perhaps it is
pretend things such as Santa and the Easter bunny that ruin our faith in God,
in the things we cannot see, touch and experience. Yet, we do experience God. Remember a time in your life you were sure
God was present. Maybe it was through
prayer or an action; perhaps it was a feeling or a brief moment you heard God’s
voice. Reflect on those real times you
might not have seen God but your other senses knew God was there. Think about the awe and wonder you had for
the Holy in that moment. Reflect on the
joy it brought to your heart; knowing and trusting that in that moment God was
there. We might not have to see to know
something exists but we do have to trust no matter what our senses are that the
Holy is communicating. Many people saw
Jesus, many people saw the miracles he performed and yet still not
believe. Trust in the joy and wonder of
the Divine.
Imagine there is this amazing present under
the tree, beautifully wrapped and has your name on it. Now imagine you begin to unwrap that gift, slowly
and with excitement you realize that there is another package within the one
you just opened. And again, another
package; in fact there are many layers before you get to the final package. Meaning while, your anticipation builds and
you more so then when you started what to know what is in this package. You get to the very last box and you open it –
joy fills your heart!
This is what a relationship with God
is all about and what our Psalmist is saying in this passage. As we grow in our relationship with God it
leaves us wanting more, looking for more.
As we learn more and hear more; as we dive into our relationship with
the Divine, we are left longing for more.
Longing for a relationship with God that fills our hearts. The Good News is that we can achieve it!
Day 18:
Matthew 8 14-15 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw
Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
He touched her hand and the fever left her,
and she got up and began to wait on him.
Jesus heals again! There is such power and joy in the many
miracle passages. Not only did Peter’s
mother-in-law recover, she recovered enough to begin waiting on them! We have all been sick in bed and know what it
feels like to recover; it is a pretty slow process. What a joyful moment when she was able to
regain her strength and be healed. In
her moment of joy, she served. She
selflessly offered food to Jesus and all he needed. How do we spread the joy of the grace of
God? How do we serve Jesus in our
lives? Our we grateful? Spiteful? Joyful?
Day 19:
Galatians 3: So in Christ Jesus you
are all children of God through faith
Faith is pretty complicated and yet children have a way of making the
complicated seem simple. They do not let
the details get in the way of believing.
This time of year we celebrate in the believing of Santa. We have an entire storyline that fills in
gaps for those who are close to knowing the truth about Santa. Yet what seems complicated: like making it
around the earth in one night or the thousands of fake Santa’s around at the
holiday times it pretty simple to a kid.
Even the latest “elf” craze has not ceased children from their
beliefs.
Having faith and finding joy in that faith, is not just grown up
stuff. In fact, when we set out in faith
with only the grown up hat on we are told we miss out. Children allow themselves to feel joy, to
know wonder, to trust and most of all to accept the complicated. Rejoice today
in the Joy that comes with Christmas.
The joy that comes not with Santa but with Christ. The joy that begins with an infant baby and
ends with a Kingdom for all.
Day 20:
Galatian 4: 7 So you are no
longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you
also an heir.
You
are no longer a slave! Words of joy if I
ever heard them. What are we no longer a
slave too? Well simple: sin. Through the birth of Christ, Christ life and
the death of Christ for those who trust, who believe, our sins are forgiven. Yup, we are no longer slave to our sins but
instead we are free do love, free to feel joy, free to serve Jesus, free to
offer forgiveness and free to live in the Kingdom. What joy!
Through the proclamation of Christ in your life you are now a child of
God. This is truly an amazing gift and
yet it can be hard to accept. Many allow
the pain, guilt, fear, anger and sadness to run their lives. Those who cannot accept fully the forgiveness
offered through Christ; do not live free but instead as a slave not only to
emotions but to the actions behind those emotions. (I am not talking about people who suffer
with real mental illness here; I am talking about people who cannot amend past
mistakes). We are called to live
free. We are called to not only forgive
others but more importantly forgive ourselves and allow God’s love to be in our
hearts.
Day 21: Pslam
80 19 Restore us, LORD God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that
we may be saved
Sometimes we meet someone and we just know they are special. Their light shines bright. We are called as followers of Christ to allow God’s light to shine through us and around us. We are called to do this. Moses comes down from the mountain and his face is bright. In this Psalm passage we are reminded of the light of God shining in our lives. That this Psalmist wants God’s light to shine and to feel God’s warmth in the author’s life. That is what we all want. To feel special not only in this world by those we love but also by God. And we are! God loves each one of us, not even allowing one of us to go astray! With the Holiday spirit around us, it is pretty easy to feel God’s love shining. Try to be the light of God for someone else this holiday. Shine bring the light inside you so that your light may shine on someone else, teaching them about the true Salvation of this season, baby Jesus!
