advent devotionals
Memorize: Psalm 139:14
I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well.
Read: Psalm 139:1-14, Psalm 104
Reflect:
Advent calls us to prepare for the arrival of our Savior Jesus Christ, yet often times our preparation is filled with the stress of planning and busyness. We don’t even take a full day to give thanks, as many race off Thanksgiving evening to find the deals. We race into December facing a to-do list of shopping, cooking, wrapping, and working...so that we can enjoy the birth of God's son?
Let’s think about this – Does our preparation have the wrong focus and the wrong feeling. Psalms 104 & 139 encourages us to pause in the midst of our preparation and consider the question, "Who am I preparing for?" Are we preparing for the arrival of Our Savior, or for the world's expectations of Christmas?
I hope today we choose to prepare for Jesus! When we do, our preparations are less about doing and more about being. We begin to prepare with praise to God for the intimacy that He has with each of us. We wake up each day with less attention on what needs done during Advent and more attention on what's been done through God's power.
Apply:
How does your thinking & planning change when you reflect on the power of your creator…your All-knowing, Ever-present God, who made you and wants an active, personal relationship with you?
Pray:
Father God, today I offer my praise for all that you have done, will do, and continue to do in my life. Help me to prepare for the things that matter and ignore the demands of this Adventseason that pull me away from you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
November 27
November 28
November 29
November 30
December 1
December 2
December 3
December 4
December 5
December 6
December 7
December 8
December 9
December 10
December 11
December 12
christianity is spelled "done"
Read Hebrews 5:5-10
5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God,
“You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings.
But you have given me a body to offer.
6 You were not pleased with burnt offerings
or other offerings for sin.
7 Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—
as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”
8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. [NLT]
Reflect:
Several people have said to me, “God must love me because I try to be a good, moral person. So, I must be a Christian.” Certainly, God wants us to grow to be like Christ. But the Bible is very clear, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 [NLT].
If 40% of the personalities living on the face of the earth are high “compliance” personalities, I try to imagine how those poor folks functioned in Bible times as they were bringing their sacrifices to the altar, wondering, “Is this lamb or goat spotless enough? Do I really have enough wheat here, or should I have brought a few more bushels?” There definitely was a lot for them to “DO” in order to be cleansed and purified and made right with God.
Boy-o-boy, am I grateful for Jesus because I am not a very compliant type. But Jesus said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Hebrews 5: 9-10. Through our acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead, Christianity is spelled, “DONE.” I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13
Apply:
If you have been TRYING to be good and have discovered that no matter how hard you try, you still fail at times…today, put your trust in Jesus, who DID it for you.
Pray:
Dear Jesus, I’m tired of trying to be good. No matter how hard I try, I still fail at times. Thank you for being the perfect sacrifice for me. I accept your free gift of salvation and I now know that it’s not about what I do, but what you’ve DONE for me.