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Daily Devotions As we enter into Advent, most of us can’t help but admit that all is not right with the world. Whether the “not right” is our internal emotions, relational world, churches, neighborhoods or the wider world — most people cannot help but feel that unsettled feeling that something is not right from time-to-time, if not most of the time. We feel grief, and protest and longing as we engage this broken world and face our broken selves. And, as we engage with the story of Advent, we can see ourselves in the people who longed for the coming Messiah. We find ourselves standing next to Mary – uneasy with her mysteriously growing belly. We find ourselves standing next to the Elizabeth – receiving Mary’s words of prophetic protest as their unborn children recognize each other. We find ourselves standing next to the magi – tuning into their gut feeling and detouring around Herod on the way home. We hope these devotionals, help you take a step to engage in Advent even if things are falling to pieces. Wait with us here. Even in the darkness. The Light himself is coming. DAY 1 Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew Meditate on Psalm 122:1-2, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.” (New International Version) I find myself rejoicing at the very notion of starting Advent this year. I’m grateful for the rhythm and familiarity that devotional practices and even the moves of the liturgical calendar can bring to my soul. David rejoiced as they ascended to Jerusalem on an annual pilgrimage to worship and celebrate. He describes his feet standing at the gate, about to enter the holy city. That’s where we are right now; excited by the anticipation of the Advent journey. Though this year has been irregular and unpredictable, it feels reassuring to know how to do Advent. The movements of waiting, anticipating, praying, and preparing for celebration is fortifying and nourishing. These regular practices help ground us, no matter what this year has been or what next year may hold. “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.” (Isaiah 2:3, NIV) Come, Legacy Church, let us enter into Advent with anticipation and joy. • How do you feel as you begin this Advent season? • How do you feel about committing to a practice of using a daily devotional guide? • What do you hope to experience or get out of this time? Vicky Vetter How do you feel about committing to a practice of using a daily devotional guide? DAY 2 Genesis 8:1-19, Psalm 124, Romans 6:1-11 A global pandemic! Unemployment. Bills piling up. We fear for ourselves, our family and friends, our nation, and the world – an invisible enemy that kills our loved ones and strips us of our freedom. There are constant stories of violence and injustice - school shootings, Me Too, and Black Lives Matter. Protests turn violent. The growing disparities in education become obvious due to lack of access to “distance learning.” Are dark forces winning over the good? Is the devil defeating God? Where is God while we are going through all of this? Does it feel like you are in the middle of a storm, with rain driving hard and no sign of it letting up? The sky is dark, the water is rising, and you don’t know where to turn? As we read in the Bible, things have not always been easy, especially for those who follow Jesus. In times like this, it is hard to trust, but God has a plan. In the days of Genesis, when war and hatred took over the world, he sent a great flood – rain for 40 days to wash out the bad, only to leave a new, clean version of the world. This, of course, did not completely wipe hatred from the world. There have been bad things happening to good people since that time. In Psalm 124, we read how people can be joyous during times of floods and wars by remembering that God is guiding us through the difficult times to a better world. I have always had a hard time seeing the hand of God in difficult times. It is only later, when I’ve looked back, that I could see how he got me through. God doesn’t work the way it is portrayed in movies. It has always been something small – a stranger stopped to help me change a tire, a good piece of advice at the right time, or someone who paused long enough to ask what was wrong. As it is written in Romans 6, we are “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus,” and with that comes the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit. I think that is why I still read the news. After the sensational stories, there are always stories about people doing good - a generous person leaves a huge tip just before the waitress would have lost her house, a business has been repurposed to care for those displaced by tragedy, people standing arm in arm against hatred, or people taking donations to help neighbors recover from an apartment fire. Despite the fact that we see a lot of bad right now, if you look closely you will see even more good. As believers, it is our job to be the hands and face of God – to be the light that someone needs to see. Do something good for someone, big or small, and you will start to see more of the brightness and light of the world as well. Aaron Van Ningen Do something good for someone, big or small, and you will start to see more of the brightness and light of the world as well. DAY 3 Genesis 9:1-17, Psalm 124, Hebrews 11:32-40 Our readings for today remind us that God has been faithful in the past and for that reason we trust he will continue to be faithful now and in the future. 2020 has dealt us quite a blow. Personally, I have faith that things will get better. Why? Because during other difficult times for me, things did get better. The Bible is full of times when God’s people were in a rough spot. He did not promise to eliminate adversity. But the Bible records over and over how God’s people praised him for seeing them through the bad times. In Genesis 9:1-17, God blessed Noah and his sons. He established a covenant with them – never again would all life be destroyed. Google tells me that the flood was probably around 5000 BC, so God’s promise has held for a long time. And God also said Verse 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you.” That includes you and me and all believers since then. Many years passed between Noah in Genesis to David’s Psalm 124. But people were still praising God for his faithfulness and provision. Again in Hebrews 11, we hear of what God’s people accomplished through faith. That is 5000 years of recorded experience where God’s people found him to be faithful. What does this mean for us now in 2020? We trust that God will continue to be faithful. It also means that it’s up to us to keep the faith alive for those coming after us. We should contribute to this rich history of trust and faith. When we commiserate with others over Covid-19, let’s also remember to share how our faith and God’s provision are getting us through. Thanking God for his faithfulness. Embrace Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Always to the end of the age? That includes us! Cheryl Sailer When we commiserate with others over Covid-19, let’s also remember to share how our faith and God’s provision are getting us through. Thanking God for his faithfulness. DAY 4 Isaiah 54:1-10, Psalm 124, Matthew 24:23-35 Have you had days where you secretly thought that it would be a good time for Jesus to return? I tend to have that thought often when things around me seem so dire. I think I’m ready and that I really can’t wait for His return. Then I read today’s passages, however, and realize I don’t think I’m truly ready. When I’m hoping for Jesus’ return, my thoughts are probably more like Jonah’s thoughts as he waited for God to destroy Nineveh. I think, “Okay, Lord. Come and destroy all the evil ones. I’m ready. Any time now.” I want to see an end to all the problems we have and that will definitely happen when Jesus returns. But my thoughts on how that should happen aren’t quite in line with today’s passages. David had a better response in Psalm 124. David saw that the end could be near for him and his army, but at that point he spent more time praising God than wishing destruction on his enemies. Isaiah, in Isaiah 54, talks about a time when mountains will be shaken and hills removed, yet God’s covenant of peace will not be removed. And in Matthew 24, Jesus states that when that time comes, God will send his angels to gather his elect.
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