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Tuesday, December 5 - Shepherds in need of Peace

12/5/2017

Luke 2:8-9 - 8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Reflection: As I studied this scripture, I realized how God uses anyone for His will! He chose shepherds as messengers for Jesus's birth. The same ones society pushed aside were the ones that God used! And it was their obedience to God and His Spirit that surprised me the most. They went from outcasts living in a field to going to Bethlehem to share the Good News, not caring if or where they were welcome… they listened!

In the same aspect, we are the sheep and Jesus is our shepherd! it’s about being obedient to listen to the Spirit within us. The more He speaks and the more we listen, the closer we will get to him. He chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.

Chris Ward

Prayer: I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. (Ephesians 1:16-18)

Monday, December 4 - Obedience Leads to Peace

12/4/2017

Luke 1:34-38 - 34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”
35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 “And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Reflection: This isn’t the first time in scripture we find someone who has a hard time accepting God’s promises at face value. We saw this with Moses at the burning bush. And just a few verses back, Zechariah was struck mute for not believing the angel’s message. At first, Mary too seems to be in disbelief, so why was she not reprimanded in the same way? I’m not the first to note this, but if you read more closely, Mary is simply clarifying how this is to come to pass, and she found peace in the answer.

I find it kind of hilarious that his proof is basically... (my paraphrase), “Don’t you think if God can bless that old woman Elizabeth with a child, she can give you a child? If God can do that, nothing is impossible.” And Mary was at peace. So much so that she say, “Okay, you’ve got a point. Let’s do this.”

Romans 4:17 is a beautiful verse, which says, “God… calls into being that which does not exist.”
Read those words again. Isn’t that what God has been in the business of doing from the beginning of creation? Calling things into existence that had not yet existed? Is there something that you feel called to, that you just can’t seem to do? If nothing is impossible with God, look at whatever seemingly insurmountable circumstances that stand in your way, and give them over to Him.

Your only job is to stand in faith and say, “May it be done to me according to your word.”

Josh Miles

Prayer: Father, You are so good to us. Nothing is impossible for You. You are the Creator of the Universe, and every good and perfect gift comes from You. And yet You know us intimately. We praise You for Your faithfulness to us, and can’t help but admire how You call things into existence things before they have even existed. Father, may we find peace in Your promises, ready to say, “May it be done to me according to your word. Amen”

Sunday, December 3 - Second Advent Candle (Red): Peace

12/3/2017

Luke 1:26-33 - 26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged, to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

Reflection: Often times it can be easy to look at a situation up close and miss the bigger picture. God may put us in certain situations or lead us to perform certain tasks, even when we may not know the purpose of His leading. Although, if you take a step back and realize what the whole picture is, God's timing and awe can be seen through just about every instance.

It also may become very easy to become stressed or anxious when you find yourself being led by the Spirit not knowing what the purpose may be. For instance, Mary may not have known what her future looked like, because she only had a view from up close (metaphorically). But looking at her future from afar, God's favor could be shown through Mary, which also led to Jesus.

Judah Getchell

Prayer: Father God, I thank you for the peace and confidence You have given me with my identity through You. I thank You for Your love and guidance through life, and the blessings You have given to my family, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Saturday, December 2 - Hope leads to Obedience

12/2/2017

Matthew 1:24 - 24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her.

Reflection: Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 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.” Earthly desires and pursuits can cause us stress, confusion, and a feeling of being overwhelmed by the fallen world’s pain.

Getting caught up in ourselves will most certainly lead us to believe that we’re in control or that we’re solely dependent on our strength. We may achieve what we set out to achieve, or receive what we thought we wanted, but we'll likely end up disappointed and distressed that the end result wasn't what we had hoped for. Regardless of the outcome, either one is probably not part of God’s plan. 1 Corinthians 14:33 says “God is not a God of disorder, but rather of peace”. Our hope and pursuit of knowing Jesus will lead us to obedience.

When we fail in our own ways and we endure earthly sufferings, Romans 5:4 reminds us: “… but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Bogdan Calin

Prayer: Heavenly Father, open our eyes to the glory You have bestowed on us through Jesus Christ, our Savior. The pain of this fallen world can be unbearable at times, but knowing that the same Holy Spirit that brought Christ from the dead is the same one that dwells in us is reason to rejoice and have hope. I pray that all those hurting and all those that don’t know You open the eyes of their hearts, see You, and have hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friday, December 1 - Hope of a Child to Come

12/1/2017

Matthew 1:22-23 - 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Reflection: I would guess I’m not the only one who reads the last chapter of a book first so I know how it ends. It’s a control thing. I like to be prepared for what’s coming. I find security in that. But we live in an insecure world, and so I find myself coming back to the thought that the only true security is in Christ and the promises that God has made. There is a deep sense of security in knowing that the story has all been foretold in the Old Testament and lived out in the New. It is so common to say: “God has a plan”, but when you sit back and think about it God TRULY had a plan from the beginning.

The prophet spoke of Mary, the virgin, becoming pregnant with the Christ Child back in Isaiah, and then that very story played out throughout the Gospels. What a beautiful thing! We have a God who told us in advance that our HOPE can be placed in the hands of this child, and we just need to believe. Then to seal the deal, He named this child Immanuel: “God is with us.” Period. What more do we need than that? Sometimes, people refer to trusting in Christ as a leap of faith, but when everything that was written before the birth of Christ actually happens after His birth, is it really a leap? To know that God promises to always be with us and to always loves us, that is the best form of hope and security.

Beth Duffy

Prayer: Lord, please keep our eyes open to your promises and our hearts open to trusting in those very promises. I pray that the world doesn’t cause us to stumble, but that knowing you are with us always provides us the security to seek you. I pray that we not only know You are with us, but that we would feel Your presence, in every moment of our day. Knowing we don’t have to do it on our own, but that you sent your Son to be born of a virgin, gives us the hope we long for and the path you have for us more visible. We are so thankful for these gifts, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Forward>>

Tuesday, December 5 - Shepherds in need of Peace

Monday, December 4 - Obedience Leads to Peace

Sunday, December 3 - Second Advent Candle (Red): Peace

Saturday, December 2 - Hope leads to Obedience

Friday, December 1 - Hope of a Child to Come

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