Advent Devos
The following devotionals were written as blog posts for the Northwest Texas Conference e-newsletter during the 2021 Advent season.
Hope
Advent. The season we journey through with anticipation of the first coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. A season where we focus on hope, peace, joy, love, and the birth of our Savior. It is easy to rush through to Christmas morning.
But as we go through each week living into the promise of hope, peace, joy, and love that this season brings, we are also walking through a time of darkness—a time before our Lord walked the earth over 2000 years ago in human form. Today, a time as we remember His first coming in anticipation of the second. There are so many things during the Christmas season to celebrate and participate in, but when it comes down to it, we focus our hearts and minds on the hope found in Jesus.
We all know how different this year has been. Some of us or our friends have been walking through some dark times in 2020. We, as believers, find hope in Jesus. But those that do not know the Lord may feel even more isolated and alone during this time. This week, take time to be in prayer for those that may not see the hope that comes through salvation in Christ.
Hope keeps us moving forward when we are unsure where we are or where we are going. Hope begins to bring light into the darkness we are wandering in. Hope brings life and reason to press forward. The hope and belief that Christ will come again keeps us moving day to day into a deeper relationship with Him. Because of our hope, we share Christ with others so that all may know the hope, peace, joy, and love found in Christ.
Here are some scriptures to Finding Joy in the Journey:
December 1 – John 1:1-5
December 2 – Isaiah 9:2-7
December 3 – Isaiah 11:1-10
December 4 – Jeremiah 33:14-16
December 5 – Luke 1:5-10
December 6 – Luke 1:11-17
December 7 – Luke 1:18-25
Consider doing a Reverse Advent Calendar this year. Each Day, add an item to a box. On Christmas Eve, donate the contents to a food bank.
Peace
“Said the king to the people everywhere. Listen to what I say. Pray for peace people everywhere, listen to what I say. The child, the child sleeping in the night. He will bring us goodness and light. He will bring us goodness and light.”
I love almost all of our Christmas music. To pick just one favorite, I don’t know if I could do that. But Do You Hear What I Hear is probably on my top 10. Pray for peace, people everywhere. Peace that comes in the stillness of the night. The peace that we find in Christ and in community with each other. A peace that I think we often crave in our communities and society.
Peace is quite the opposite of what society pushes us towards in this season. While things will look a little different from COVID-19, I do not doubt that the season’s hustle and bustle will still be prevalent. Let’s take this year to strive for living into the peace that the season brings. Make space to pray and practice praying with your family. Where do you need God’s peace in your life? How can you show God’s peace to others? We don’t pray because we are limited or at our last option. We pray because we know where the power is.
Here are some scriptures to Finding Joy in the Journey:
December 8 – Luke 1:26-38
December 9 – Matthew 1:18-21
December 10 – Matthew 1:22-26
December 11 – Luke 1:39-45
December 12 – Luke 1:46-56
December 13 – Luke 2:1-5
December 14 – Luke 2:6-7
Are you looking for activities to do this season?
Joy
What brings you joy during this season? I love to decorate for the Christmas season. Usually, we wait till after Thanksgiving, but this year it was so tempting to start Christmas at the end of September. I was just yearning for some Christmas joy to finish out this 2020 year.
I also love lights at Christmas. My favorite thing is driving around looking at lights. It is just so peaceful. It makes me think about the star that illuminated the sky in anticipation of Christ’s birth. Being with family also brings me great joy. Now that we have children, it is even more fun to shape our traditions during the season. Our most favorite thing about the Christmas season is being with our church family on Christmas Eve. It is a time I look forward to every year. There is nothing better than gathering together, singing praises, remembering the birth of our Savior, and taking Christ’s light into the world as we leave. So much beauty in a room filled with darkness and the glow of candles raised while singing “Christ our Savior is born, Christ our Savior is born.”
Even though this year will look different for many of us, live into the joy of the season. Don’t keep your joy contained! Find ways to share the joy of the Lord with family, friends, neighbors, and your community. How can you live beyond yourself this season? Are you sharing your testimony about the work of Christ in your life with those in your midst?
Here are some scriptures to Finding Joy in the Journey:
December 15 – Luke 2:8-12
December 16 – Luke 2:13-14
December 17 – Luke 2:15-18
December 18 – Luke 2:19-20
December 19 – Micah 5:2-5
December 20 – Matthew 2:3-6
December 21 – Matthew 2:3-6
Love
Love drives this season and our daily lives as Christians. The unimaginable love of God for creation leads to the incarnation of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, so creation reunites with God. Emmanuel.
Christ with us. But as we sing the Christmas carols, we must not forget that while we remember a story from a long time ago, we live in the presence of Emmanuel today.
We should not contain this love. Christ is the light of the world. He called us to take His light to the darkness through the ends of the earth. How are you spreading the Word? How are you inviting your community?
Christ’s birth was the beginning of a new story. One of redemption. One that we are currently in. A story from long ago but alive in us today. As we wait for the second coming of Christ, we are wandering through the middle of the story. With the second coming, our current story comes to an end, and we step into something new.
What are you clinging to in your story that you need to let the love of Christ heal? What relationships do you need to grow more through Christ’s love? How will you let Christ’s love speak to you this Advent season?
I pray that you have a very Merry Christmas and that the Lord speaks clearly and boldly in your life. That your hope, peace, joy, and love in Christ renews this season.
Here are some scriptures to Finding Joy in the Journey:
December 22 – Matthew 2:7-8
December 23 – Matthew 2:9-12
December 24 – John 1:14