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
jesus is coming soon
Read Philippians 4:4-7
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. [NLT]
Reflect:
I originally wrote this devotional on the sunset of a horrific tragedy. In a stunned silence, I opened the lectionary Advent scripture for the following day, and sat in a different stunned silence. The words of comfort that I had been longing for since I heard late that afternoon about the senseless loss of 27 lives in Sandy Hook Elementary, 20 of them children, was sitting right there awaiting me. Our reading today emphasizes that we should rejoice because the Lord is coming soon. Paul goes on to say that we need to pray and God himself will provide peace beyond anything we can understand, especially when we can’t understand the horrors of this world.
Jesus, himself said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Apply:
Meditate today on Jesus’ words, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Tell your family how much you love them. Continue to pray for the families, friends, teachers and community who still mourn in Newtown, CT.
Pray:
Dear God, I have no idea how to pray or what to say right now. I want to experience your peace which exceeds anything we can understand. Help me to live like I believe you are coming soon.