Monday, December 9, 2024
Hope
Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:24-25
Please read and/or listen to Romans 8:18-39 today. This week in advent we are considering hope as we light the hope candle. Biblical hope is much different than earthly hope. Have you had times in your life where you experienced disappointment even as you hoped? Things seem to be delayed and the things which you hoped for did not materialize. The metanarrative of Scripture and the unfolding revelation of God allow us to see that we can have certain hope, yet as Paul reminds us in the verses above, it is not hope if we have seen it. So, hope implies waiting. Waiting requires faith. A favorite saying I have heard is that faith pushes, and hope pulls. We need both. Both must be rooted in God and an eternal perspective if we are to live in peace amid all different types of circumstances. God is on an eternal timeline and his patience is unwavering. He has been patiently unfolding his eternal plan even as people wait. Hope is what has held God’s people throughout all of scripture. Hope in the certainty of his sovereign plan and his absolute ability bring his plan to fruition. Hope in the truth of his promises. Hope in his faithfulness. This week we will look at 4 different people who were involved in the birth narrative of Jesus and how they were able to see hope fulfilled. As you prepare your heart to enter the narratives this week, ask God to allow their accounts to strengthen your faith and your hope as you wait for the continuing unfolding of the amazing redemptive plan of God. His promise of a king to the Jewish people has been fulfilled. We praise him for his faithfulness!
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Mary
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever. Luke 1:54-55
Please read and/or listen to Luke 1:26-56 today. We know this part of the birth narrative. Mary offers a prayer/poem/hymn/psalm if you will that has come to be known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). “Magnificat” is the Latin word for the English word “magnify”. Marty’s response to what is taking place in her life is to magnify the Lord. Her psalm reveals many things about her as a person and her relationship with God. Her response shows that she has pondered the things that have been set in motion. She has been entrusted with amazing news and her prayer shows God has spoken truth to her. The long-awaited promise is being fulfilled. Help has come. What we see in this prayer is that she has seen hope fulfilled in such clarity that she is able to speak of it as already happening. She is the one who has been chosen to carry the promised seed of Genesis 3:15. She is the one who has been chosen to carry the promise of help given to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. She is to carry the promise that is eternal—forever! God helped his servant Israel because he remembered his mercy. The Greek word for “mercy” used here is the word that expresses the Hebrew word “hesed.” It is the covenant keeping love of God, especially to his covenants to the Jewish people. His promise to Abraham was to be fulfilled in the coming King. Mary rests in the hesed of God. Read through her Magnificat today and look for how her hope was fulfilled.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Zechariah
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old Luke 1:68-70
Please read and/or listen to Luke 1:5-25, 57-80 today. We will be focusing on the prophecy of Zechariah found in Luke 1:68-79. Zechariah had lots of time to think about what he was going to say. He was kept from speaking for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Then, his tongue was loosed, and he began blessing God. Oh, that the first words that come from my mouth each morning could be words of blessing to God!! He blesses God for hope fulfilled. He blesses God for salvation. As you read his prophecy look for the mention of salvation and redemption. Notice his use of mercy as well. He introduces the light that the king will bring. He connects the coming of the king with the covenant with David and the covenant with Abraham. Because of the unfolding nature of God’s revelation, we can see that what Zechariah saw as being fulfilled in the coming king was not all fulfilled in the first appearing of Christ. God has allowed Zechariah to see the fulfillment that will come at the first advent and the second advent. He is seeing the immediate fulfillment of hope for Israel and the hope that is yet to come. The king has indeed come to bring salvation. While Zechariah sees part of this as the political deliverance, that is yet to come. The suffering servant must come first. The hope in the seed promised in Genesis 3:15 is the hope that sin and death will be defeated. One of the things that I love is the reason that Zechariah is seeing for the salvation of the Lord—that they might serve him without fear. This comes first in that the fear of judgment will be gone—the first advent sees to that. Then, in the second advent, the King of kings returns and defeats all that stands against him. Then complete free service for all eternity! Bless God today for his salvation!
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Simeon
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32
Please read and/or listen to Luke 2:22-35 today. We will focus on the words of Simeon found in 2:29-32. Simeon is allowed to see the consolation of Israel. Consider what a gift of God this was for a man who was righteous and devout in his waiting. God give him such a gift that he declared he would now be in peace. God has fulfilled his word. Zechariah had declared that this promise was spoken by God through the prophets from of old (1:70). Israel has waited a long time for this consolation. The Messiah—the promised king—the consolation of Israel—was to remove sorrow and comfort the nation. It was prophesied that the Messiah would take on the ministry of consolation (Isaiah 40:1–2). Simeon was shown that Jesus is the promised Messiah. That he was shown this truth caused Mary and Joseph to marvel. Simeon is also shown that this Messiah would not only be for the glory of Israel, but he would also be a light for the Gentiles. God’s design was that the nation of Israel would reveal his glory in a way that would be a light for the Gentiles so that they could be brought to salvation. Israel did not always succeed at that. Jesus came to be this light perfectly, even as his coming would be glory for Israel, as her king would bring salvation to the world. Salvation is from the Jews (John 4:22). Again, we see an already and not yet aspect to the fulfillment of this consolation. The world does not necessarily see the glory of Israel. In fact, we see a growing disregard. As believers we must remember that the light that comes to us comes through the fulfillment of the promise to the Jewish people. That is how God has chosen to reveal his glory and it is the hope realized! Take some time today and thank God for his promised light to the Gentiles. Pray for the peace of Israel as well. Pray that the Jewish people may know the glory of God as revealed in the coming of their Messiah.
Friday, December 13, 2024
Anna
And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:38
Please read and/or listen to Luke 2:36-38 today. Anna is an amazing woman to consider. She was given an amazing gift as well. She was a prophetess who was a worshipper who stayed at the temple. She fasted and prayed. Then she gave thanks. She gave thanks and she spoke of God. It’s almost as if she couldn’t help it. As I read her brief account, it seems as if she walked so closely with the Lord that he was all she thought about. I imagine people knew that. I wonder if people who came less regularly to the temple would look for her. It appears she knew the people who came to the temple. It tells us that she spoke of God to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. That could mean that she knew who was and who wasn’t. It could mean she knew those who were just going through the motions and had lost hope or forgotten the promises. It could mean she was part of a group that was waiting together. We don’t know but it is interesting to imagine. The truth is every person is waiting for the redemption of Israel. Anna was shown that Jesus was the one who would bring that redemption. It has not yet fully come. There will come a time when the King comes and fully redeems Israel at the end of the age. It has been fulfilled in part but not fully. And so, while the kingdom is on pause, we wait with Israel for the return of her King to bring her promised redemption. This is the hope in which we live. Take some time today to consider your relationship with the Lord. Do people know you are a worshipper? Do you know others and does your thanks to God pour out in testimony of his redemption?
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Hope
. . . and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5
Please read and/or listen to Romans 5:1-11 today. Take some time today to talk with God about hope. What is it that you are hoping for? Are there any ways in which you are distracted from your hope in the Lord? What are the ways that your hope might be shaken? Talk with him. Have a conversation with him where you speak to him and then you listen to what he has to say to you in this word. Is your hope in the Lord firm—praise him!
A song that has helped me is Stay Strong by Danny Gokey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY-jh4RS_I0
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Tomorrow we will light the peace candle. As you prepare your heart for worship, ask God to speak to your heart about the peace of Christ!