A Great Light

Read Isaiah 9:2-3

In the beginning God said, "Let there be light," and saw that it was good. Light was crucial for the rest of creation. Unfortunately, our sinfulness dimmed that light and darkness ruled the world. Isaiah was prophesying about a time when the true light, the source of all light would come breaking through the darkness. Indeed Jesus’ birth was announced by light, both as a bright star shining in the east and when the angels appeared to the shepherds ("the glory of the Lord shone round about them").

As John so eloquently states: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:4-5). Matthew also alludes to Isaiah this way: "The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned" (Matthew 4:16). The gospel then comes in light and power bringing joy with it, and those who receive it rejoice. Today we celebrate the light of the world who humbled Himself among us so that we can call ourselves children of the Most High.

QUESTIONS:

1. How does the light help you to overcome the darkness in your life?

2. As believers we are to reflect the light of Christ. How is your light shining through? What can you do to increase it?

PRAYER:

Father, we thank and praise You for the gift of the gospel, the light that has broken through the darkness for our salvation. Amen

Helga Spence

You Will Fill Me with Joy

Read Psalm 16:7-11

As we look at today's reading, it is interesting to note that during his first recorded sermon found in Acts 2:25-28 (Pentecost), the Apostle Peter drew upon verses from one of David's psalms. As Peter addressed the mostly Jewish crowd on this important day he viewed these verses as the foretelling of Christ's death and resurrection and the joy that is secured for all believers.

David and Peter both emphasize the importance of knowing God and the resulting joy as illustrated in Psalm 16:7-9 "I will praise the Lord who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices."

Christ offers Himself in our daily lives and in the reality of His resurrection and the promise of eternal life for all believers. We can experience the joy he promises in knowing Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, prayer, His Word, the Sacraments, etc. Ultimately, we have the promise of eternal life where we will see Jesus face to face and experience joy unending!

QUESTIONS:

1. How do you grow closer to God on a daily basis? What elements of the faith do you practice to grow in this relationship?

2. How often do you think about the reality of the resurrection? Are there times when you consider what this promise truly means?

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for the ability to know You and the reality of the resurrection. Thank You for the joy resulting from these gifts. Amen

Tom Richards

The Lord is Good

Psalm 135:1-5 

The people addressed in Psalm 135:1-5 are those who serve in the temple (read "church"), the ones who make the church work, the 20% who are the regular volunteers. They are exhorted to believe and to serve God with all their heart. Do those people really need encouragement? Don't they get it already? Well, yes and no. Yes, we regularly serve. But no, we are not immune to the temptations and trials of the world and of the Enemy. Every day those who serve the Lord need to be re-converted to believe, as though it were the very first time.

Martin Luther wrote in The Small Catechism that the old Adam, our sinful and selfish desires, "should be drowned by DAILY sorrow and repentance" and that the new man "should come forth DAILY and rise up, cleansed and righteous." Every day is a new opportunity for even the most dedicated to re-commit to the Lord. It's a new day to appreciate the Lord's renewed mercies, as we read in Lamentation 3:23 – “for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

QUESTIONS:

1. What is your daily practice of coming into the presence of God and recommitting your life to Him?

2. Where do you sense the mercies of the Lord offered anew each morning?

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, as I serve You and Your church, allow me to rediscover Your grace, repent of my sins, and cling to Your forgiveness.

Dave Mann

Be Silent Before Him

Habakkuk 2:20

“But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”

BUT this world is filled with chaos and crises. BUT our lives are filled with difficulty and hardship. BUT our minds are filled with problems and plans. BUT our hearts are filled with pain and sadness.

“But the LORD is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”

Be silent. Put your worries aside. The Lord is in His holy temple and so...

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)

Be still because God is sovereign and the world is in His hands. Be still for He knows the plans He has for you. Be still and meditate on the Lord. Be still and let your heart sing.

Remember that Jesus came on a Silent and Holy night when all was calm and all was bright. During this busy season, may you find time to be silent and to be still in the presence of our Holy God.

QUESTIONS:

1. What burdens might you be keeping that can be given to God?

2. When is there time in your day to spend with God in prayer?

PRAYER:

Loving Father, help me to live in the peace. Quiet my anxious heart. Remove all distractions so I can focus on Your holiness.

Nancy Gleeson

Joy Restored

Read Psalm 51:8-12

What is your deepest longing or source of joy this Advent season? I am guessing that if I asked this question to a range of people, the answers would vary from “XYZ popular toy” to “world peace” and probably everything in between. But what if all our desires shared a common genesis, a longing for God and the joy only He can give?

I think we can all relate to David’s longing in today’s Scripture. He implores of God, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” Clearly, David feels overwhelmed by his own sinfulness and desperately cries out to God. David is seeking, even longing for, the type of joy that only God can provide.

Whether you hold as your perceived deepest desire something material or relational, ultimately only God can satisfy and provide the peace and joy to fulfill our needs. The awe-inspiring face is that God came to earth to bridge the gap between our desperate longings and joy. May we each seek God as passionately as David, and feel the joy of God’s salvation in its immensity and in small, every day ways, as well.

QUESTIONS:

1. In what way do you need to feel the joy of God's salvation today?

2. How can you share the joy of Christ's salvation by offering grace to someone in your life who desperately needs it?

PRAYER:

Jesus, give each of us a willing spirit today to seek You, Your joy and share Your joy with others. Amen!

Jessica Efird

Answered Prayer

Read: Luke 1:23-25

In 2008, the Lord lead me to launch Into the Field. It has taken me around the world, including ten trips to China. As I go and serve, I have a particularly soft place in my heart for kids—millions of them longing for families of their own. I would pray for them, for their future families to come, knowing that they weren’t me.

Like Elizabeth, one of the deepest prayers of my heart was to be a mom, and I questioned if it would ever be my turn. I watched those around me having kids and more kids. Unlike Elizabeth, my dream of a husband has not yet been realized, so I figured the prospects of motherhood were approaching somewhere between slim and none.

But the Lord is faithful and good. His plans are so much better than anything we can imagine. In 2012, at the age of 41, I walked into a foster home in China to lead VBS. I picked up Olivia and knew something was different. He tapped me on my shoulder and…”In these days, he has shown his favor…” and I knew that instead of praying for her family, that I was her family.

QUESTIONS:

1. Do you have any unanswered prayers that have consistently poured out of your heart for years on end? Take a moment to pray again.

2. When was the last time you stood in awe of an answered prayer? Take a moment to thank the Lord.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Lord, for the perfect timing of answered prayers. Thank You that You sometimes answer in unexpected ways. Continue to grant us Your favor.

Jennifer Cameron

Coming King

Zechariah 9:9-11

Advent season gives us much cause for rejoicing—rejoicing in the celebration of our Savior’s birth, foremost, but also rejoicing in the promise of a coming King.

A preview of Zechariah 9:9 is given to us in Zechariah 2:10: "Sing and shout for joy, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming and will live among you." The people of Israel had cause to rejoice because God came to them not as a conquering warrior-King, but as a King of peace, riding on a humble donkey. We rejoice because of the promise that He will come again in power and glory to rule over the entire earth.

At the time of Zechariah's writing, the people of Israel had endured 70 years of exile and had been living in the "dry well" of suffering and despair. God promised them freedom because of His unbreakable covenant. And this is where God meets us in our own lives and promises us His deliverance.

Just as God announced His coming to the people of Israel in Zechariah, Jesus, who was crucified and raised from the dead comes into our lives as our Savior our King, our Master.

QUESTIONS:

1. How can you use the example of the humility of Jesus to show His love to those God has placed in your life?

2. What is standing in the way of you fully surrendering every part of your life to God?

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, show me areas of my life that need to be more fully surrendered to You. Teach me to rejoice in you every day.

Ann Brubaker

Zechariah's Unbelief

Luke 1:18-20

A decade ago, I dreamed of having many children—each one unique in the interests they would share with me, the activities we could do together, the joy they would bring to my life. But I have struggled in romance, and with each passing year my dreams get smaller, my hope dwindles a little more.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is watching “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. I enjoy the innocent love story between Rudolph and Clarice, and I hope a little more when they sing, “There’s always tomorrow for dreams to come true.” Then, the misfit toys depress me when they think they’ve been forgotten and cry out in despair, “I haven’t any dreams left to dream!” In spite of their hopelessness, Santa comes to turn their despair to joy by bringing children into their lives.

For many, the holidays are more a painful reminder of what we lack than a joyful celebration. Some of our longings will always be longings; others are felt for only a time. One day, like Zechariah, we may be awed by the plans God has made for us. We can trust that God will fulfill His promise at the proper time.

QUESTIONS:

1. What do you long for this holiday season?

2. What longings of your past is God granting in your present?

PRAYER:

Lord, I trust Your plans for me—plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.

Star Bradley

Zechariah's Prayer

Luke 1:5-18

For years Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a child, longing to be parents, but their prayer seemed unanswered. They were “righteous in the sight of God.” They were “good people,” but still Elizabeth was unable to conceive. By this time, any hope of being parents had vanished, as “they were both very old.”

But our God is a God of surprises, of the unexpected. He hears our prayers—no matter how big or small, simple or complex, straightforward or seemingly challenging—each and every prayer. He answers all of them.

God knew the longing of Zechariah's and Elizabeth’s hearts. He knew how much they wanted a child. When they least expected it, an angel appeared. Gabriel told Zechariah news that he never expected to hear: “Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.”

My guess? Zechariah and Elizabeth never completely gave up; they continued to pray. And in God’s perfect timing, He answered their prayer. And He will answer yours as well.

QUESTIONS:

1. Have you ever prayed for something and it seemed as though God didn’t even hear you? How did you feel? How did you respond?

2. What are you praying for these days? Are you willing to trust God to answer in His perfect timing, In His perfect way?

PRAYER:

God of hope, in this season of wonder and awe, continue to surprise us with Your answers to our prayers, in ways only You could.

Becki Bork

Guided and Targeted by a Star

December 18                                                                     

Scripture Reading
Read Matthew 2:1-12 and reflect on the passage.

Mother called to me, “you’ve been out there too long, come inside now!” I was a star gazer by age 10, interested in the constellations of stars, and especially radiant Venus. Then and now, I am awed by its brilliance. 

The Star stood in the heavens, almost as brilliant as the sun, its sharp rays beaming steadfastly in the silent night. It had been foretold that it would move and point the way. Now, a great stillness came, and the Star was fixed. He who had been born was with all people, in every place on earth at this hour, and His spiritual presence would never again depart. The Star was seen all over the known world.  It was visible to the Wise Men from afar.

Bethlehem's Star signified birth and kingship. Relative to the Jewish nation, it rose in the East. It appeared at an exact time and endured over time. According to Matthew, the Star guided the Magi as they traveled south from Jerusalem, and came to a stop over Bethlehem.  How amazing and miraculous is this?

QuestionsDo we stand in awe and gratitude of Emmanuel with us?
Is our heart’s compass pointing us toward the radiant Star?

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank you for all the guides You have sent to us: angels, Your Word, people, and even the "Bright Morning Star," Jesus Himself.

                                                                                                                                    Diane Ward

A Sign

December 16                                                                                                         

Scripture Reading
Read Isaiah 7:10-14 and reflect on the passage.

Ahaz was known as an evil king, so when he says "I will not put the Lord to the test," don't be fooled. He wants his way, not God's, and that is clear when the Lord says, through Isaiah, "Here is your sign – a virgin will give birth to a son we will call Immanuel." The Lord tells His people this incredible news hundreds and hundreds of years before Christ is born. News that will change the world, one life at a time. 

And He is true to His word. What are you trusting God for right now? A new job? Healing in your marriage? Enough money to stretch to the end of the month? A new relationship with a difficult family member? Trust in God's faithfulness. Turn to Him, not your own means. He desires you to trust Him, and he will repay that trust a thousandfold. "God can either give you what you want, or He can give you what you would want if you knew all that He knows." (Hayley DiMarco, "A Woman Overwhelmed")

Questions

Why is it so hard to trust God?

What fear can you give to God right now?

Prayer

Lord, help me to want what You want for my life, not what I want.  Because Your way is best.  Amen.

                                                                                                                                    Elaine Pierce

Strength and victory are God’s

5 December

Scripture Reading

Read Job 12:13-25 and reflect on the passage.

As I read these verses two days after the presidential election of 2016, it immediately brought to mind the flurry of emotions and angst many Americans have felt over the past year. We have endured an embattled, negative political campaign that is unprecedented in recent memory. On Election Day, I prayerfully cast my ballot as if my vote—as if we alone on earth—would make the difference in how our next four years would go. But isn’t there more to it?

The author of Job declares that God is sovereign over all the nations, rulers, and people. He alone has the wisdom and power to make use of all leaders, both good and bad. So while my vote did make its worldly mark, He’s ultimately in control. We have only to look at Jesus’ crucifixion to see that God orchestrated the events that led to the salvation of the world. I have to ask myself, had I been around at that time, would I have understood His master plan? Would I have known the difference that would make?

Questions

1.      What are some examples of God’s power and wisdom that have already been shown to man?

2.      Who should we look to for counsel and sound judgment?

Prayer

Open our hearts Lord! We pray for all those in authority, that You would grant them wisdom and discernment as they lead. Amen.

—Carole Roys

God provides Light and Life

December 3

Scripture Reading

Read John 1:1-5 and reflect on the passage.

These are some of the most stirring words in the Bible. It is a great opening to a fantastic Gospel. It doesn’t go to Jesus’ birth stories, but takes us back to eternity! It is an opening to another world, like the wardrobe in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia.

We see that our Christ is God—the Word of God and the Source and Agent of all that is created. He brings light and life amidst the darkness of this world. So the Gospel helps us know God as glorious and utterly separate but also nearby us like a father. His presence makes His otherworldliness comforting, and His otherworldliness makes His presence amazing. So we worship with both awe and intimacy.

I remember the morning of the funeral of my 11-year-old daughter. I awoke and simply couldn’t move. I felt a crushing weight upon me. Then I heard the words “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” The weight dissipated immediately and I was able to get up and walk with God through that terrible morning. The God of all came to me and brought life and light and the darkness could not overcome it.

Questions

1. When was there a time you got a glimpse of the magnificence of God in nature?

2. What is an experience in your life when this majestic God was present to you in a real way?

Prayer

God, You are high and exalted above all, yet You stoop to dwell with us! Thank You. Help us live gratefully and joyfully. Amen.

—Buff Delcamp

God is bigger than anything man can build

2 December

Scripture Reading

Read 1 Kings 8:22-27 and reflect on the passage.

Young King Solomon stands before his people and gives his stunning new building to the Lord. Though the new temple is magnificent, Solomon admits it is unfit as God’s home because even all heaven and earth cannot contain its Maker. How much more incredible, then, to ponder that God Himself in human flesh has come among us! In fact, today He wants His spirit to live long-term inside our floundering hearts. C. S. Lewis pictured us in this indwelling experience as living houses that God wants to rebuild. At first, God does basic repairs that we knew we needed. But, when he starts huge remodeling changes, we wonder what’s up.

“The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

—C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Questions

1. What basic repair does God want to make in your “living house” today?

2. Where does God want long-term rebuilding in you, His palace?

Prayer

Lord, Life-builder, come in. No more spot cleaning nor superficial patch jobs. Knock down walls. Build what You need. Make my life Your home. Amen.

—Pam Mann

God loves righteousness

 December 1

Scripture Reading

Read Psalm 45:4-7 and reflect on the passage.

“That was righteous, dude!” is a compliment that might be directed to someone who did something unusual or difficult. It could be the playing a musical instrument, performing an extreme sport or stating something that we wholeheartedly agree with. We all want to be righteous. We want to do things that win approval from others.

Jesus lived a righteous life while here on earth. He loves righteousness and we are to emulate him. Sadly, while our deeds may get approval from our friends, by themselves, these deeds do not emulate Jesus and cannot win God’s approval.

Fortunately, for us, Jesus, who is powerful and just, gives us his righteousness. Crucified on the cross, He traded our sin for His righteousness. What a loving God indeed! What great comfort He brings!

Jesus did it all; we have life in His awesome, everlasting kingdom. There is nothing we need to do, yet, almost paradoxically, we are expected to emulate Jesus by loving others and sharing His Good News. It is only through Jesus’ love that we are able to respond with God-pleasing righteous.

Jesus is our righteousness!

Questions

1.      How did Jesus’ love comfort you in the past week?

2.      What opportunities do you have next week to share Jesus’ love with others?

Prayer

Dear God, may Your presence comfort me and may Your love motivate me to share it with others in the coming days. Amen.

—Mark Locher