Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news.”  Luke 4:18

The season of Advent lays the foundation for the celebration of Christmas. Luke tells us in his Gospel (4:16-21) that Jesus proclaimed himself the fulfillment of the promise God made to restore the people. (See Isa. 61:1-4.) This is our hope. This is what we look forward to in the birth of the Christ Child. In the meantime, we enter into a time of expectation, a season pregnant with what is to come.  The scriptures show us how to receive again the Gift of Love that is to be born. The First Letter to the Thessalonians (5:16-24) tells a faithful community how to live expectantly: to rejoice and pray, to give thanks in everything, to cling to the good and reject evil. It is good counsel for us in Advent.  We have become a part of a sacred history, and we are called to live responsibly — faithful to the purposes of God. In Advent we have an opportunity to prepare to receive the Christ anew in our lives, refreshing and restoring our faith with ancient truth and future hope.

O God, make us ready to welcome, in the birth of the Christ Child, the hope and purposes of your vision. Amen.

The God of compassion said, “It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms.”   Hosea 11:3

I can remember when my son was learning to walk. In front of him was a new and wonderful world, one he could not see when he was crawling. He could not see me behind him, but he held on to my fingers because he would lose his balance without me. When he became strong and balanced enough to support himself, I turned him around toward me. Once he could see me, the desire to come to me gave him the courage to take those first steps on his own into my arms. He stumbled a few times, but I was always there to catch him, strengthening his skill and faith in himself so he could someday walk on his own.

As I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 18, “Unless you change and become like children,” I realize that I’ve been crawling along through life for too long on my own. When I allow God to guide me, I see a new world, an outlook I’ve never experienced before. This new outlook builds my strength so I can look beyond the suffering and pain of the world to see the works of a wonderful Healer, Creator, and Guide. Then as I turn to God in worship, prayer, and service, I find confidence to take those first steps to God so that soon we can walk side by side.

God, help us to reach out to you, trust you as our guide, and look for your wondrous hand at work. Amen.

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.   Psalm 62:1

When I was younger, I thought it was necessary to have an important role in life so that people would love me. I always tried to look my best, spending time on my appearance. I longed to be accepted by every group I came in contact with — other students and people at social gatherings. Yet it was difficult to please those around me. As a result, I felt more and more self-conscious, shy, and unaccepted. I desperately wanted signs from others to show that they considered me somebody important.  But while studying the Bible, I discovered God’s way of measuring. As I sought first to do God’s will, I became less self-conscious. Over the years I’ve gained more self-assurance. This seemed to happen in a natural way, just as I was changing my priorities. And instead of seeking approval from others, I slowly learned to extend the love and acceptance of Christ. Consequently, I became more relaxed and I no longer worried about my image or status. Transformed by the love of Christ, I’ve made many friends just by being myself.

Loving God, help us to rely on you for a sense of purpose and reassurance as we live each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”   John 21:15

One of the most poignant conversations Jesus ever had might have been when he asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” The first two times Jesus asked Peter that question, Jesus used a word for love that means “God’s unconditional love.” Peter answered that he loved Jesus with “brotherly love.” Maybe that was the best love Peter could muster at that moment.

The first time Jesus asked this question, he said, “Do you love me more than these?” Was Jesus asking Peter if he loved him more than he loved his earthly friends? Or was Jesus asking if Peter loved him more than the other disciples loved him? Yet another possibility was that Jesus was not referring to people but to things. Perhaps Jesus was gesturing towards the boats, nets, ropes, and other gear that were part of Peter’s possessions and livelihood.

I like to ponder Jesus’ question in all these ways. Do I love Christ more than I love anyone else, with a special love reserved only for him? And do I love him more than I love my livelihood, my possessions, all of the “stuff” that fills my life?

Loving God, remind us daily what is most important. Teach us to love others as you love us. Amen.

The psalmist wrote, “Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.”  Psalm 139:1-2

When the children are all together for vacation Bible school, the babble is deafening. They are excited, telling stories with their friends, singing, and clapping from sheer exuberance. I cannot pick one voice out of the crowd.

Think about all the prayers lifted to God in a single moment. To our ears, it might seem a babble — so many people, so many cares, so many words to tell the Lord! But God hears each specific prayer, whether it is spoken, silent, eloquent, halting, desperate, or ecstatic. God hears each prayer separately and knows each person’s need.  This is remarkable and reminds me of what I saw with the cattle on a friends farm. Each spring, he inoculated the calves, first separating them from their mothers. The noise was deafening. The cows milled around outside the enclosure while the calves mingled inside. How could they ever be sorted out and matched? But when the gates were opened, after a little jostling and a lot of bellowing, each cow and her calf moved off together. In all that confusion, they recognized each other through scent and sound.  God picks each of us out of the crowd. God knows every hair on our head, our voice, our scent. God rejoices over us and longs to be with us.

Dear God, we are amazed by your love. Help us to show your love to everyone we meet. Amen.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:14 

If you’ve ever driven for a long period of time, you have probably experienced road hypnosis. It happens when the rhythm of the car and the monotony of your surroundings lull you into a blank state subconsciously. You can still navigate the road, yet you can’t recall what vehicles were around you, what exits you passed, or any of the other essentials to driving. 

Many of us suffer from a similar condition called life hypnosis. This happens when we become so consumed by our busy schedules that we ignore our surroundings, or when our thoughts lull us into a blank state where we walk right past people without ever noticing them or their possible needs.  Jesus had a very busy schedule. He was a carpenter and a ministry leader. He could have easily passed over crowds of people to attend to his own private agenda, yet he made time to interact with the masses. He never let his own agenda keep him from noticing and meeting the needs of the people around him. 

God has specifically placed people in your path so that you could meet their needs. He wants to bless them through you, and then bless you in the process. Don’t let the busyness of life distract you from adding a personal touch to the needs of the people around you. Instead, follow Jesus’ example and exchange your agenda for the agenda of God.

Lord, I have been guilty of allowing the distractions of life to keep me from noticing those who are in need. Please help me stay continually aware of those you have placed my path so that I can meet their needs, as I exchange my agenda for yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

When the hour came, [Jesus] took his place at the table, and the apostles with him.  Luke 22:14

 When our son was young, we received a dinner invitation from friends. Assuming that the invitation included our son, we brought him with us. When we arrived, the host and hostess warmly welcomed us into their apartment. As we settled in, I noticed only four settings at the dinner table.

After a time of warm fellowship, our hostess invited all of us to the table. I noticed that she had added a setting. Quietly she had made room for our son. Although she had not included him in her invitation, as we had assumed, she wanted him to be included at the table. She never mentioned to us the error in our assumption.

Over the years since then, I have thought about how Jesus made room at the table for all of his disciples. He did not exclude from the table Judas, who would later betray him, or Peter, who would soon deny him three times. Instead, Jesus included all of the disciples in his Passover meal, knowing full well that later they would desert him in order to save their own lives. This helps me to see that if God made a place for all of them, then there is also a place at God’s table for you and me.

God of grace and glory, thank you for inviting and welcoming all of us to your table. Amen.