Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 62:6-7, 10-12

Key Verse: And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. ~Isaiah 62:12

"Christ is born! Glorify Him! Christ descends from the heavens, welcome Him! Christ is now on earth, O be jubilant! Sing to the Lord, the whole earth, and sing praises to Him with joy, O ye people, For He has been exalted!" (An Orthodox Christmas Hymn)

Today we celebrate that one period of waiting is over, Christ the Redeemer promised long ago has been born. Salvation has come and we are given new life through Him who was born to a virgin. And as we celebrate this fulfillment we are given hope as we continue to wait for his final coming, when He will return in power and glory to establish His Kingdom forever.

The people of Isaiah’s time had spent so long waiting for salvation that they may have felt like giving up, may have felt like God had forgotten them and abandoned them. Today, on this celebration of Christ’s birth, we are reminded that by sending his Son to be born as a human, God was definitively saying he had not forgotten or abandoned his people. Jesus’ birth was a declaration that God was pursuing his people at all costs.

“You shall be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken” (Isa 62:12)

As you celebrate today and over the coming days of the Christmas season, remind yourself that you have been sought out by God. Take the Christmas season to rejoice in the fact that your salvation has come and that you are have not been forsaken. The waiting and the preparation may have been toilsome and painful. Give thanks for the Christmas message of the angels:

“For today a Saviour has been born for you in the city of David: he is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:11)

Happy Christmas!

For Further Reading: Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:1-20 Psalm 97

Come O King ©2012 Micah J. Chisholm

On a dark night in Bethlehem a tiny baby cried His father smiled with great delight; With joy his mother sighed In that night God’s love shone bright, Soon all the world would see That as this babe became a man, Salvation he would bring

Come O King and Prince of Peace Son of God and Son of Man Beneath the shadow of the star Wise men came from afar To marvel at your humble birth When God came down and kissed the earth

The child grew up to be a man in whom the Spirit did abide His life was his Father’s pride, In the shadow his mother cried She could see the coming day, Her dying son on Calvary That as they lifted up this man, Salvation he would bring

Come O King and Savior blest Child of Mary, Word Made Flesh Beneath the shadow of the cross This mystery, this sacred loss We draw near the Father’s throne God came down, to call us home

From the grave he arose, angels again did sing The firstborn of the dead he is with great rejoicing On that day God’s power was shown, for all the world to see Conqueror of sin and death, Salvation he will bring

Come O King and Lord of all By your Spirit rule in us Draw your children near and far To our home with you above

Come O King O Holy Child We wait your coming again this night Come O King Emmanuel Come with us here now to dwell

A Prayer for the Christmas Season

Heavenly Father, In your great love you have sent your Son Jesus Christ into the world Even though time and again we have failed you heed you call to repentance Even though we have not pursued justice and not looked after those in need Still, you have called us to be your people, redeemed by your Son As we look back to his humble entrance into our broken world Teach us to be humble people As we look back to his life of truth, compassion and love Teach us to be people who stand for truth and extend your healing love As we look back to his sacrificial death on the cross Teach us to be people of sacrificial love for others As we look back at his resurrection and ascension to glory Teach us to live resurrected lives empowered by new life in the Holy Spirit As we stand poised in the present, between what has been done, what is being done and what will be done when Christ returns Teach us to be faithful people Teach us to be Advent people Teach us to be Christmas people Teach us to live in the reality of Christ, who has come and will come again He is our hope He is our joy He is our peace Amen.

Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 59:15b-21

Key Verse: “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord. ~Isaiah 59:20

When you live with the reality of brokenness all around, it can seem as if God is hidden and hope is absent. Surely Israel found themselves in this position many times throughout their history. It is likely that you have found yourself in that place as well. Our sin and the sin of others has damaged the world that God created. From a human perspective it would be hard to blame God if he simply had decided to write creation off. But then, God is not human, God is God. And God is love (1 Jn 4:8). And God, in his love, looked upon his broken creation and was angered, saddened…and then moved with compassion. And God chose, of his own loving kindness, to send the One who would bring salvation to his wayward people and redeem his fallen creation. “A Redeemer will come” this became the hope, the lifeline for the people waiting in darkness, the people stuck in sin. This became the promise that brought life to the people of Israel and it is the promise that continues to bring life and hope today. Because the Redeemer has come and he is coming again. And he will bring salvation to those “who turn from transgression” (Isa 59:20).

As the liturgical season of Advent draws to a close and we prepare to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation, the birth of God in human flesh, we can know that God has kept his promise, and the Redeemer has come and is still a living reality. And we can celebrate that we are no longer condemned to sit in darkness, stuck in our sin. For our Redeemer brings light and brings freedom and brings justice and peace. He is our salvation, for he delivers us from the kingdom of darkness and brings us into the kingdom of his beloved Son “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14). Praise be to God, for by his strong arm he has delivered us.

For Further Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 1:67-80 Psalm 45

The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 42:1-12

Key Verse: Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. ~Isaiah 42:1

For three weeks we have heard the recurring warning against disobedience and injustice. We have looked within our hearts to see ourselves rightly – to see the ways in which we have rebelled against God and failed to love and serve those around us. Perhaps it has been a difficult three weeks for you, and perhaps you are weary of messages of judgment and punishment. This has been a necessary part of our Advent journey, because it is not until we see ourselves rightly and recognize our need that we are ready to welcome the Savior. Israel waited for hundreds of years until the “the appointed time” (Gal 4:4) and then Jesus came, born to Mary, as the Savior they had long been waiting for. These remaining days of preparation not point us to our hope in the midst of the reality of our brokenness. God promised through Isaiah that he would send his servant to “bring forth justice to the nations” (Isa 42:1). This servant will be compassionate and will bring light and freedom (Isa 42:6-7). This servant will usher in “new things” a new era, a time when God will be known by his people and they will worship him. Looking back we know that this prophecy was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus and his ensuring life, death and resurrection. But we know that we are in a state of “ongoing Advent” still waiting and preparing for the ultimate fulfillment when Jesus will return a second time and bring to completion the redemption and renewal of the entire universe. As we wait, let us continue to draw close to the Lord, seeking righteousness and justice, and singing to the Lord a new son.

Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the habitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord and declare his praise in the coastlands. ~Isaiah 42:11-12

For Further Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20 John 3:16-21 Psalm 24

Third Saturday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 10:20-27

Key Verse: A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. ~Isaiah 10:21

This week concludes with a look to a future time when judgment will end and a remnant will return to God. The promise is that punishment will not continue against the people forever, but that a time was coming when (Isa 10:24-25) The people are encouraged to not be afraid and to “lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 10:20). Living one this side of the Incarnation these words have even greater significance. The people of Israel experienced the fulfillment of these words temporally when they were freed from the oppression of the Assyrians, who had been used by God to punish them for their disobedience. But these words also spoke forward of the coming of Christ and his death on the cross, when he would absorb the wrath of God for the sins of the world and bring an end to sin and death. Because of this we need not fear judgment if we are found in Christ (Rom 8:1). God’s ultimate desire is that we would “lean on the Lord” (Isa 10:20). God wants us to draw our life from him and be sourced in him. Our life and power are to come from him and he will be faithful to us.

Reflect: Have you found yourself stuck in a painful situation that you thought would never end? Have you been separated from God because of sin and felt as though you would never again be close to Him? Know that because of Christ’s work on the cross there is nothing that can separate us from his love. Today lean on the Lord.

God, you are the Lord, the Holy One of Israel and of the whole universe. Thank you for removing the sting of sin and death, for taking the punishment from me and placing it on Jesus. Thank you that in Him I have life. In His Name I pray, Amen.

For Further Reading: Jude 17-25 Luke 3:1-9 Psalm 55

Third Friday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 10:20-27

Key Verse: A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God ~Isaiah 10:21

Throughout the book of Isaiah there has been a cycle of recurring themes: judgment, punishment, promise. Judgment for failure to live according to God’s decrees, punishment for rebellion, but also the promise of restoration and that if his people would return to him that punishment would cease and there would again be joy and prosperity for them. Why are these the themes that we are given to ponder during Advent? Why aren’t the readings happier and more like the glitter and stars and bells that decorate our streets lamps and shopping malls? Because we still fail to live according to God’s decrees and desires and we need to have Israel’s story held up to us so that we can learn from it, so that we can be a part of the remnant that does not turn from God and does not bow down to idols. We read these stories, these warnings, these promises because they reveal our own hearts, our own failings and our own hope. They call us to repentance and trust. They call us to “return…to the mighty God” (Isa 10:21). Advent is a journey through wilderness, a time of testing and preparing, of resting on God’s promise of salvation and looking ahead to the return of the Savior. It is a time to draw close to God, to be found in him, and in him to find life.

Heavenly Father, today I draw close to you, for you are mighty and are Lord over all. Let me not be far from you because of my disobedience, but let me be found in You because I belong to Your Son, Jesus Christ, that I may persevere to the end and be found to be in Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Peter 2:17-22 Matthew 11:2-15 Psalm 40

Third Thursday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9:18-10:4

Key Verse: Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression. ~Isaiah 10:1

These eight verses take us again into God’s heart where we see some of the things that are vitally important to God and are a part of what it means to be faithful to him. In particular we are reminded of God’s Fatherly love for those in material need: the needy, the poor, the widows and the fatherless (Isa 10:2). This is another theme that has recurred throughout Isaiah’s writing up to this point and the connection seems clear: a significant part of faithfulness to God is caring about those things God cares about, in particular the care of those who are in need. There is judgment for those who fail to care for those in need around them. This theme is reiterated by Jesus (Mt. 25, elsewhere) who in the flesh reveals God’s heart to the world. In some Christian traditions Advent (as well as Lent) have been designated as special times to be intentional in fasting and almsgiving – times of limiting our own consumption and giving to those in need. These traditions do so in part to fulfill this aspect of faithfulness.

Reflect: Who are the people in your own community who are in need? In what ways has God equipped you to help meet those needs? Will you ask God to show you one specific way that you can make a difference in the life of someone in need this Advent season? Will you do it?

Heavenly Father, you looked upon our need for a Savior and spared no cost by sending your only Son, Jesus to redeem the world for you. You demonstrated costly generosity for those in need. Teach me to have that same posture as I see the needs of those around me. Use me as your hands and feet to bring relief and hope to people who are desperately in need of it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Peter 2:10b-16 Matthew 3:1-12 Psalm 50

Third Wednesday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9:8-17

Key Verse: For those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up. ~Isaiah 9:16

These verses from Isaiah again speak of God’s judgment for disobedience, a recurring theme in Isaiah’s writing up to this point. Hopefully we are beginning to understand how seriously God takes the issue of faithfulness to him. In his covenant he has sworn himself to Israel, to be there God and to protect, bless and direct them. But this covenant requires faithfulness on the part of Israel and they have frequently failed to uphold their end of the covenant. In Jesus God has fulfilled the covenant and renewed and extended its reach to include all who place their trust in Jesus. But we, like Israel, are summoned to faithfulness, humbly walking with the Lord. These words from Isaiah then serve as a warning against pride and arrogance for us as well. God still requires obedience and will accept no substitute. Isaiah has a particularly harsh word to say about the leaders of Israel – that they were leading the people astray and that as a result many people were swallowed up (Isa 9:16). If you are in a position of leadership then this should serve as a check. For others this is a call to examine those whom you are following – are they leading you closer to faithful obedience to God or farther away? We must seriously consider our earthly allegiances and the way they affect our posture before God. As we move on in our Advent journey, take a few minutes to consider your posture before God – is there pride or arrogance you need to repent of? Are you coming before the Lord humbly, seeking to be faithful to him?

Dear God, I am sorry for the times I have pridefully rejected your Lordship and not taken seriously your desire for faithful obedience. May I not be found to be far from you when you come again in glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Peter 1:1-10a Mark 1:1-8 Psalm 119:49-72

Third Tuesday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7

Key Verse: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6

When a person has been surrounded by darkness for a long time, any amount of light can seem blinding, even painful. For a person who has been oppressed and imprisoned, freedom can seem terrifying and uncertain. So often it can be tempting to simply slip back into the shadows or return to our prison, not because we enjoy either place, but because they have become comfortable and normative. We so easily are willing to live lower than God desires for us because it requires less of us. Israel had been sitting in darkness, enslaved and oppressed for years and years. In fact, much of her history involved darkness and oppression. After that long you might forget how to see and how to move about freely. Many in our world today find themselves in similar, seemingly hopeless situations. The Church has Good News though! We are called to proclaim the words of Isaiah, that a great light has come into the darkness and it is still shining brightly through the witness of the faithful. We are called to proclaim that the rod of the oppressor has been broken and that peace has come. On what does this Good News rest? On the coming of a little child, the entrance of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and brings about our redemption, bringing healing, mercy and peace. Yes, let us say with Isaiah: “For us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6).

Thank you Father, for sending Jesus, Immanuel, to rescue us, to bring us light and life and freedom. Help me to see Him more every day, and to follow more closely in his footsteps. In His Name I pray, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Peter 1:12-21 Luke 22:54-69 Psalm 45

Third Monday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 8:16-9:1

Key Verse: I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob and I will hope in him. ~Isaiah 8:17

It can be difficult to see where God is at work sometimes. Martin Luther spoke of the “hiddenness of God” and this concept is likely familiar to many of us. When we don’t see God at work it can be difficult to trust and to hope in him. The clamoring voices that surround us can begin to sound appealing and we may be tempted to seek strength and direction from some other source than God. This will not provide a long term solution though, because any “salvation” outside of God is a false salvation. Any god but God is a false god, a deaf, mute idol who is unable to meet our ultimate needs. Israel compromised time and time again. They ran after false gods and worshipped that which was no god but merely an illusion. When we find ourselves frustrated, discouraged and tempted to look somewhere other than to the One True God, we need to say with Isaiah that we will wait for the Lord, even if we must wait a long time, and must place our hope in him and in him alone.

Reflect: Are there particular things that are troubling you today? Are you facing decisions that tempt you to compromise what you know is right and true? Do you feel like the pressure to conform to the rest of the world is crushing you? Offer all of these things to God and place your hope in him. Ask for divine assistance to give you strength and discernment.

Heavenly Father, thank you that you are my rock and my fortress, that in you I can put my hope and know that my hope is not in vain. Strengthen me today to live for you in spite of all of the temptations and pressure the world surrounds me with. I want to live for you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Peter 2:1-11 Luke 22:39-53 Psalm 41

Third Sunday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 13:6-13

Key Verse: Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger. ~Isaiah 13:13

Advent is a season that has more than one layer. On the one hand we are commemorating a past event and its present implications (the reality that in Jesus God became made to redeem mankind). On the other hand we are also looking forward to a future event, a time when Jesus will return and there will be a final judgment. This future event also has implications for our daily life. Through the prophet Isaiah God gives a very severe warning about the “day of the Lord” (Isa 13:6). This will be a day of wrath, of judgment and of punishment for wrongdoing. This two needs to be understood within the category of “already and not yet.” On the one hand the day of the Lord has already happened on Calvary when Jesus died on the cross. The wrath of God was dealt with by Jesus’ death. Those who are in him have no need to fear the return of the Lord and the final judgment which will take place in the future. Those who are living apart from the Lord will have reason to fear on that day. This is an important issue! We need to use the time we have now (like this Advent season) to evaluate our lives. Are you walking with Christ? Have you surrendered your life to him as Lord and Savior? If so then you need not fear anything!

Reflect: Isaiah paints a scary picture for those subject to God’s punishment. We need this sobering reminder from time to time to keep us from complacency. Renew your commitment (or make one for the first time!) to live a life of repentance, following Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!

Lord I give myself to you. I need your forgiveness and I need your direction in life. Let me be found in you, now and at the last day. Amen.

For Further Reading: Hebrews 12:18-29 John 3:22-30 Psalm 63:1-11

Second Saturday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 8:1-15

Key Verse(s): But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ~Isaiah 8:13

Chapter eight begins with another dreary note, Isaiah once again warning the people of coming punishment, this time at the hand of the Assyrians. God’s people have rebelled; they have brought ruin upon themselves. After giving this gloomy message, Isaiah shared something with Israel that pertains to us as well, especially when we find ourselves surrounded by worry and panic and fear. Isaiah says that God warned him not to get caught up on the conspiracies and fears of the people around him. Instead, he is told to focus on God, to fear God and not worry or be anxious about the worries around him (Isa 8:11-13). This is reminiscent of Jesus’ words to “not be anxious about your life…but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Mt. 6:25,33). God said to Isaiah that for those who focus on him he will be “a sanctuary” but to others he will be “a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling” (Isa 8:14). This again points us to Jesus, who is salvation for those who turn to him but a stumbling block to those who refuse to see him as he is (1 Pet 2:4-8). We live in a world that is moving further and further away from God. Nations and people groups are turning their backs on the Sovereign Lord. Many are worried and becoming panicked. Anxiety and fear are easy responses. We must be people whose hope remains fixed on the Lord, he is our rock and our salvation (Psa 62:2).

Loving God, there is panic and fear all around me and I often become anxious and fearful myself. Show me the areas in my life that I still need to repent of, and help me to fix my hope on you. I want to honor you as Lord and King over the entire universe and not be carried away by the cares of the world. I trust in you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18 Luke 22:31-38 Psalm 30

Second Friday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 7:10-25

Key Verse(s): Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and hear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ~Isaiah 7:14

In this passage we read a familiar verse that would come to be seen as a prophecy of the birth of Jesus (see Matthew’s Gospel in particular to see how Matthew understood Jesus to fulfill several Old Testament prophecies). This sign was promised to Ahaz as a sign that God was on his side against his enemies. But Matthew and Christian commentators since him have read this as also looking forward to the birth of Jesus many years after the time of Ahaz. This builds on the reading from yesterday – not only are we to trust God in times of uncertainty (since we cannot save ourselves) God promises that a child will be born and named “Immanuel.” This is a very important detail, especially as we look back from our vantage point. Immanuel means “God is with us.” When Jesus was born God literally was “with us.” He became a human and lived on this earth. With the sending of the Holy Spirit to believers, God is literally “with us.” He indwells us. We are still looking forward to the return of Christ and the complete restoration of God’s Kingdom, when he will in the fullest sense be “with us.” Right now we are caught in “already and not yet.” We are waiting. Our journey into Advent is intended to help us prepare, by looking back at what God has done, by looking at what God is doing in the present and by looking forward to what God will do in the future.

Reflect: Do you struggle with trusting God? Are you always asking for a “sign” from God to prove himself to you? Look at Jesus, he is the sign of God’s love and faithfulness to us.

Almighty God, thank you for revealing yourself in Immanuel, God with us. Thank you for coming to us to show us your love. Help me to trust you more and more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5 Luke 22:14-20 Psalm 31

Second Thursday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 7 :1-9

Key Verse: And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not dear and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands, at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.’ ~Isaiah 7:4

Isaiah 7 begins by presenting a situation that you may be able to relate to. The King, Ahaz, finds himself threatened with war from multiple adversaries. He is so afraid that “that heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind” (Isa 7:2). Certainly we have found ourselves in similar situations. In the midst of this fear and uncertainty Isaiah comes to Ahaz with a message from God. The basic thrust of the message is: Don’t be afraid Ahaz! Be quiet and wait, don’t do anything foolish. Trust God (paraphrasing Isa 7:4). Isaiah concludes the message by saying “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all” (Isa 7:9). It can be very easy to lost faith in God’s ability to care for us or to trust his sovereignty in a situation. When this happens we almost immediately try to take things into our own hands and say t ourselves “I can handle it.” But we can’t handle it. We cannot be our own Savior. This Advent we are reminded that because we could not save ourselves God took it upon himself to send the Savior, Jesus Christ. We are called to cling to our faith in him, to trust him and not be afraid, even in times of uncertainty and fear. God is on our side.

Reflect: What uncertainties make it difficult to trust God right now in your life? Re-read Isaiah’s message to Ahaz and make it your own.

Father in heaven, in the midst of uncertainty help me to have a certainty in my faith. Help me to trust you in all things at all times and to follow obediently wherever you lead me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Luke 22:1-13 Psalm 41

Second Wednesday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 6:1-13

Key Verse: And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” ~Isaiah 6:5

“Let us therefore tremble at the magnitude of the sight of the ineffable one…And let us be filled with awe and trembling, falling on our faces in fear before him.”1 In chapter six of Isaiah we hear a fantastic account that begins “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord…” (Isa 6:1). Isaiah is granted an incredible gift, for the One who was unseen made himself known to Isaiah and as a result of seeing the glory and majesty of God, Isaiah was confronted with his own condition and declared “Woe is me! For I am lost for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isa 6:5). Seeing God rightly enables us to see ourselves rightly and the appropriate response is to acknowledge our own unworthiness before the Lord. In an incredible gesture then a seraphim flew to Isaiah “having in his hands a burning coal that he had taken from with tongs from the altar. And he touched…and said: Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Isa 6:6-7). Here we see God at work in the life of Isaiah, but these actions prefigure what is to come. Jesus’ entrance into the world as a man showed the unseen God to the world and his death on the cross became the perfect atonement for all sin. After Isaiah’s vision of God he was commissioned by God to go and preach to Israel and to call them to return to the Lord. After we have been set right with God we too are called to go out and preach Good News to the world.

Reflect: Take a little longer for this part today. Write down how you typically picture God. Read through one of the four gospels and write down a description of Jesus. Then read John 14:8-11. Spend some time in voicing your own prayer thanking God for revealing himself in Jesus.

1 This quote is attributed to Sahdona, a 7th century Syrian monk as found in Ancient Christian Devotional, Year B. Cindy Crosby, editor. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011. P 142.

For Further Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 John 7:53-8:11 Psalm 38

Second Tuesday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 5:13-17, 24-25

Key Verse: Man is humbled, and each one is brought low, and the eyes of the haughty are brought low. ~Isaiah 5:15

You have now made significant progress into this Advent journey. It has possibly been a difficult journey, requiring great honesty in self-examination. The goal of this journey is simply to prepare yourself to meet Jesus in a deeper way, as you remember his Incarnation, when he was born as a tiny baby two thousand years ago, and also as you look forward to his second coming. A key component of this process, if you haven’t already realized it, is humility. The humble person sees him or herself rightly, as they truly are in relation to God. They know their weakness and their need. They have learned to be dependent upon God rather than their own strength and intellect. They do not look upon others with scorn or disdain because they realize we are all beggars in need of Divine grace. The journey to humility is often a difficult one. As Isaiah describes the plight of Israel it is a picture of a people struggling to learn humility. But it is so key to life with God. Isaiah warns the people who have been living so self-indulgently that they will be humbled and “brought low” (Isa 5:15). He describes a great reversal in which the rich and honored people will go hungry and the lambs (helpless animals) and nomads (people without a permanent home) would “graze as in their pasture…and eat among the ruins of the rich” (Isa 5:17). God is still working in terms of great reversals, doing the unexpected. Who would have ever expected the Savior to come as a tiny baby? Humility removes the blinders that keep us from seeing God at work.

Gracious Lord, shape my heart to be like yours. Teach me humility and remove anything from my heart that is an obstacle to my walk with you. Help me to continue in this Advent journey so that I may come to know and love you more. Amen.

For Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Luke 21:29-38 Psalm 26

Second Monday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 5:8-12

Key Verse: They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands. ~Isaiah 5:12

Chapter 5 continues in the form of a “woe oracle”, a statement of impending doom as a result of injustice on the part of the hearers. Beginning in verse eight God speaks a word of indictment against those who have gotten rich on the backs of the poor and who now live in lavish excess while failing to yield a harvest of righteousness. Those who engage in this type of injustice are described as spending their time partying from morning until night, enjoying themselves with strong drink and music. The implicit accusation is that they enjoy excess while all around them are those in need and want and those who have do nothing to aid those who do not. This follows from the earlier exhortation to “cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Isa 1:16-17). This self-centered lifestyle has placed blinders on their eyes. As a result Isaiah says they are unable to “regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands” (Isa 5:12). It is easy for us to become so focused on self and distracted with temporal things that we fail to see what God is doing and are thus unable to join God in what he is calling us to.

Reflect: Simply quiet your heart and mind for five minutes and look around you. Consider your life and the lives of those close to you. What is God doing that you may be missing because of a distracted life. Ask God to reveal himself to you in a deeper way and seek to ally yourself with what God is doing.

Heavenly Father, show me where you are at work in the world around me and give me grace to bring myself in line with what You are doing, so that I might yield a harvest of righteousness in your sight. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Luke 21:20-28 Psalm 25

Second Sunday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7

Key Verse: What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done for it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? ~Isaiah 5:4

This passage from Isaiah reads something like an off-key love song. The first lines of the song are sung from the perspective of Israel, declaring the good things the Lord had done. It refers to God intimately as “my beloved” (Isa 5:1). Then it’s as if suddenly a terribly wrong note was hit as God interrupts to challenge his people. God is the owner of the vineyard (Israel) and he has indeed looked after it, but he comes with the question “When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?” (Isa 5:2,4). Wild grapes are often sour and not good for very much. They do not have the sweetness and smoothness that grapes from a well tended vine have. Comparing a glass of wine made from wild grapes to a wine made from say, grapes grown in a Napa Valley vineyard it is clear: there is no contest, the grapes from the vineyard make a superior wine. The point God is making is this: I cared for you, tended you, built protective walls around you and have blessed you in such a way as to enable you to become the people I desire you to be, people who yield righteousness and justice and truth and mercy. Why then, when I look upon you do I see a wild, unruly, rebellious people? Why are you like wild grapes that are sour and good for little? Wild grapes get cut down and thrown away with all sorts of other wild brush and debris. God speaks a word of judgment that he will remove the protective barriers and will take away his blessing from his people as a result of their rebellious ways. Israel (and by extension all of God’s people) are to be “his pleasant planting” (Isa 5:7), which bear good fruit and are a delight to the Lord. God is broken hearted when he looks upon his people to see justice and instead sees bloodshed, when he seeks righteousness and instead is met with the sound of an outcry of distress.

For Further Reading: 2 Peter 3:11-18 Luke 7:28-35 Psalm 148

First Saturday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 4:2-6

Key Verse(s): In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorified, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. ~Isaiah 4:2

After the judgment and the destruction comes life and fruitfulness. For Israel these words from Isaiah would have produced the kind of hope that sustains a person through the most difficult circumstances. A day is coming when this time of chastisement will end. There will be survivors, and the land will again be fruitful. Once again God’s presence will be known in the land. There is a reference to a “cloud by day and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night” (Isa 4:5). This would have instantly recalled for the Israelites God’s presence in a similar manner when the people of Israel fled Egypt. God is promising that he will come again and be with his people and he will be “a booth for shade…a refuge and a shelter” (Isa 4:6). These are words to bring hope to a dying people, a lost and wandering people. “The branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorified” (Isa 4:2). This is ultimately a reference to Jesus, the Messiah. Elsewhere Isaiah speaks of “a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him” (Isa 11:1-2). In our difficult times now we can rest assured that Jesus is in our midst, that he seeks to bear fruit in our lives if we remain connected to him, the True Vine (Jn 15:1-11).

Reflect: The Israelites could look back on past events like the pillar of smoke and cloud as reminders from their history of God’s presence and activity in their midst. Make a list today of times that God has revealed himself to you. Look at it frequently, especially during difficult times, as a reminder that God is on your side and will not leave you or forsake you.

Almighty God and Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise that you will return to your people and that joy and light will come again after darkness and sadness. Help me to always find my hope in you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Luke 21:5-19 Psalm 20

First Friday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 3:8-15

Key Verse(s): Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. ~Isaiah 3:10

The problem with idols is that they leave us empty, hungry for more. The more we serve them, hoping to be satisfied, the more we desire, the emptier we become. We become completely absorbed with things that are of no eternal consequence that we can quickly find ourselves headed in the wrong direction fast. Judah found themselves in this position time and again and this is why Isaiah was sent – to call them back, to warn them of God’s judgment. This is why Jesus said to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33). If we spend all our time chasing after things that pass away, we never spend time connecting to the One who does not pass away. The live righteously is to live at oneness with God, to be “right” with Him. And Isaiah tells the people of Judah that the wicked shall receive their punishment, but tells the righteous that “it will be well with them…they shall eat the fruit of their deeds” (Isa 3:10). Matthew’s gospel tells us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness “will be satisfied” (Matt 5:6). With what will they be satisfied? With God Himself, who is the very source of life and all good things in it. Their ardent desire to live rightly with God results in their being with God. There is nothing greater than this.

Reflect: What types of things are you cultivating in your life right now? Ask God to help you use this Advent season to begin cultivating righteousness in your life that you would be prepared for His coming again.

O God, you know my heart, search me and cleanse me, that I may be made new. Fill me with a hunger for your righteousness that I might not sin against you but might live according to your statutes. Grant this for the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

For Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 Luke 20:41-21:4 Psalm 16

First Thursday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 2:12-22

Key Verse(s): Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?

If we’re willing to be honest with ourselves we have to admit that our hearts are frequently divided in their loyalties. Rather than being fixed solely on loving God we are filled with fleeting attractions to and affections for those things which cannot satisfy because they are not God. They are idols. Israel struggled mightily with idols, frequently abandoning their worship of the One True God for the worship of statues of wood and stone. At other times they tried to worship both idols and God. But God will not be shared. He desires and demands all of us for all of Him. Today our idols may not be statues or stone and wood, but they may take the form of success, independence, money, power, possessions, and pride. If we are to have hearts that belong to God alone then we must become humble people so that God alone may be exalted (Isa 2:17). There is nothing that man can offer that compares with what God desires to freely give us. Isaiah 2:22 says “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” The point isn’t to demean human life, but to redirect our priorities and our perspective. If a person stops breathing they die, their physical life ends, they are finite and their abilities and powers are finite. Yet we spend so much time following the ways of man when we should be seeking the one who gives life to man in the first place. We need to remember that in the Garden of Eden “God breathed into him [Adam] the breath of life and he became a living creature” (Gen 2:7). No person and no idol made with human hands have that capacity.

Reflect: What things have become idols in your life that divide your heart from loving God and serving Him? Begin the work of ridding yourself of them and giving an undivided heart to God.

Heavenly Father, teach me to love you alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 Luke 20:27-40 Psalm 18:1-20

First Wednesday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 2:1-11

Key Verse(s): Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his path…O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. ~Isaiah 2:3, 5

The second chapter of Isaiah begins with the description of a coming time when God will restore the people of Israel and establish Jerusalem as His holy city once again. It was a reminder that a day was coming when God would set things right, a day when justice and peace would come for those who “walk in his path” (Isa 2:3). The reign of God would be characterized by peace between individuals and nations as tools that had previously been used in war for the purpose of killing and destruction would then be used for bringing forth life and prosperity from the ground. Advent is preparing us to remember that God has acted in a decisive way by sending Jesus to be born and that He ushered in a new era as the Savior of the world. But we know that we are also waiting for the redemption of the world to be completed at the last day, when finally all things will be put right. So we are encouraged to continue to “walk in the light of the Lord” (Isa 2:5) as we wait.

Reflect: Read Psalm 119:1-24 and do a personal “spiritual inventory.” Write down the things that characterize the “blessed one” in that Psalm and pray for God to help you in developing each of those things in your own life

. Heavenly Father, thank you that by sending Jesus you have defeated evil and ushered in your Kingdom on earth. Help me to live more and more in your Kingdom as I await your second coming and the final restoration of all things. Assist my by your Holy Spirit to walk in the light you have revealed in Jesus Christ, the true Light of the world. In His Name I pray, Amen.

For Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 Luke 20:19-26 Psalm 119:1-24

First Tuesday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 1:21-31

Key Verse: Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. ~Isaiah 1:27

The first chapter of Isaiah concludes with one final condemnation of the wickedness found in Judah and the consequence of such waywardness. If you’re feeling slightly battered, take heart: there is good news. But we have to be honest before we can receive it. We need to recognize the disastrous consequences of rebelling against the One who created us. In Isaiah 1 God speaks forth a word of judgment, but it is a word tempered by love and mercy and a desire for healing and restoration. This healing process comes by way of repentance, of seeking justice and righteousness (Isa 1:27). This is the way to blessedness, to being dedicated to and in communion with God. We must be a people who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt 5:6). Then will we find healing as we enter into the Divine Life. I am reminded of an ancient Eastern Orthodox hymn which includes the verse “The choir of the saints has found the fountain of life and the door of Paradise. May I also find the way through repentance, I am the sheep that was lost, call me up to You, O Savior, and save me.” The way of Advent, and truly of all life, is a way of repentance.

Reflect: Read the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-12 and consider the way of life they outline. Compare it with what you have read in Isaiah 1 and ask God to teach you to walk in the way of repentance.

Merciful God, I turn to you as one who has wondered far from the path you have lain before me and I ask for forgiveness. I turn again to You and hunger to live a righteous life. Teach me to model my life after the example set by Your Son Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

For Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Luke 20:9-18 Psalm 5

First Monday of Advent

Today's Reading: Isaiah 1:10-20

Key Verse: Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. ~Isaiah 1:18

Frequently when we realize we have wronged someone we try to "make it up" to them. We buy flowers or gifts and try to "work off" our debt. Often we interact with God with the same mind set. "I'll go to church more" or "I'll give more to the poor" or "I'll pray harder and read my Bible every day." What we're doing is trying to appease God, to pay off our debt without necessarily a change in our heart and a change in our actions. This is precisely what the people of Judah were doing - offering sacrifices and having feasts and praying - but they were going through the motions without changing their hearts or the way they conducted their lives. God said he wished they would stop doing those things if they didn't reflect the inner attitude of their hearts and that he wanted them to "remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes...learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause" (Isa 1:16-17). Those things are harder to do than any "religious activity" because they require a heart that has been changed by God. The good news comes in Isaiah 1:18 where God promises that even though we are stained by sin, he can make us white as snow, clean, new, and able to love and serve in a way that is pleasing to him.

Reflect: Thank God for his forgiveness; ask Him to show you those people around you who are in need of compassion and service. Serve them.

Gracious Father, thank you for cleansing me of my sin and making me new. Help me to offer you the love and service that pleases you and make me aware of those who are in need that I may share with them the love you have shown me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

For Further Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Luke 20:1-8 Psalm 1

First Sunday of Advent

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 1:1-9

Key Verse: Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. ~Isaiah 1:5

Isaiah calls us to observe this Advent season by reminding us that “the Lord has spoken” (Isa 1:2). Isaiah’s prophecy begins with God handing down his judgment about Judah. It is an indictment about their waywardness. Advent calls us to reflect upon our own waywardness, our own failings, as we prepare to celebrate the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah. Israel waited for centuries for the Messiah to come, and many missed His appearing. Advent provides us with an opportunity to examine our lives, to see the ways in which we have become “laden with iniquity” (Isa 1:4) and then to repent, to turn back to God and trust in the One who he has sent to be our Savior. Isaiah speaks a word of challenge to us as we begin the Advent journey, reminding us that if we are to have our wounds healed and to receive the gift of God: Jesus Christ Himself, the Messiah, the Savior, then we must begin by reflecting upon our lives and turning from our sin.

Reflect: Verse two begins “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken.” How well are you listening to the Lord? Do you know His voice? Do you seek to hear Him? Spend some time asking God’s forgiveness for the times you have failed to hear and to listen, and then ask Him to speak to you today. And listen.

Heavenly Father, thank you that you have spoken your love to the world by sending your Son. Please speak to me again today and give me ears to hear, a mind to understand and a heart to love and obey you. Help me to us this season of Advent to draw closer to you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For Further Reading: 2 Peter 3:1-10 Matthew 25:1-13 Psalm 146