December 2, 2020 - Advent Devotion
Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The bridegroom is arising,
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.
“... You are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Bobby came downstairs on Christmas morning to find a toy truck given by Santa. Across the street, in another part of town, on the other side of the country, in a corner of the world; Sally woke up mom and dad on Christmas and ran down the hallway to find by the tree a doll Santa had left for her. After playing with the truck and the doll for a little while, Bobby and Sally each set aside their gifts. Days later, weeks later, Bobby and Sally went back to their gifts. After a little while it was clear the truck and the doll each did much more and brought more joy than first realized. Before long, Bobby did not go anywhere without his truck; Sally was never seen without her doll.
Do you know the gift of hope in every sign of God's grace for you? As the Apostle Paul believes, do you believe, do you believe you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ?
This is hope. This hope is a gift finally realized even though we may have set it aside so many times, wishing for something more. This hope is what strengthens us. Our hope assures us that we will be blameless when Christ returns. God is faithful.
When we wish we had even more, we are invited to rejoice, rejoice, believers and to let our lights appear, for while evening is advancing and a darker night is near, the bridegroom is arising and soon is drawing near. Our hope in God's grace is a blessed sign to our hearts and homes and to every corner of the world. May we take hold of all we need while we wait, may we take hold of hope that provides more than we first thought, may we rejoice with all believers and take this gift of hope and every sign of God's grace wherever we go! May we never be seen without it!
Let us pray: Faithful God, you are my hope. Like your children of every age in every part of the world, I often look and wish for more. I confess sometimes I take your signs and your gifts, I give them a look and then set them aside, waiting for more, wanting more, not fully realizing what has been given to me. In every sign of your grace, I truly have all I need, I have more than I ever dreamed, I have hope. In the certain hope I take everywhere I go, I pray. Amen.