Day 6

 Read 

Isaiah 40

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

    and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. - Isaiah 40:5

Consider

In Isaiah’s day, they leveled the mountains and filled up the low places to make a new highway for the king. To prophetically make the way for Jesus, John the Baptizer quoted this passage and the people of his day had to clear out a completely different kind of path. Advent means coming or arrival. Traditionally, the two great aspects of this is waiting with expectation and preparing to receive Him. Perhaps this year is a good time to make a new way for the King in your life. Is the way clear for Him to guide us? Is there any obstacle that would keep me from following Him closely? If I take a good look at the world in which I live, the circumstances of my day to day life…is there anything that would complicate His reign over me? 

Wonder

How am I preparing for the King’s arrival?

Day 5

 Read 

Zephaniah 3:9-17

The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17

Consider

The Lord preserves the meek and humble. The greatest comfort and strength for God’s people has always been found in understanding that God is with them. As we consider the ramifications of the birth of Christ, it is essential for us to meditate on the fact that not only does the one true God join with us in strength, He walked alongside us. He was born as we were. He was a humble babe, just as we all started out. The Lord our God is WITH us. Jesus is the Divine King who reigns forever, and the Mighty Warrior who saves. He was born to a poor, simple couple in the town of Bethlehem. He knows what it is to walk in the streets, to wrestle with family issues, to work with His hands, and to suffer grief. The Lord our God is with us and He takes delight in us. Our natural response is to worship Him, this passage says that He sings over us. Knowing He is with us is meant to quiet us, calm us, and settle us so that we might remain meek and humble.

Wonder

Picture in your mind the Lord holding you, quieting you as a parent 

quiets a baby. What lullaby is the Lord singing to you right now?

Day 4

 Read 

Isaiah 30:12-18

This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

    in quietness and trust is your strength,

    but you would have none of it.” - Isaiah 30:15

Consider

This is a very different angle for consideration, especially if you read the entire chapter. God has always been faithful in offering salvation, redemption, direction, and hope. It is the people who choose not to see His provision. What is it that we are meditating on this month? What is the depth of our desperation and gratitude for the arrival of the Son of God within the context of human history? The Lord is a God of justice. The plunge of humanity into darkness could only be overcome by the passion of God Himself to take on flesh and dwell among us to pioneer and perfect our faith, as well as pay the consequence for all of Mankind’s rebellion. YET, He did it through repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. What a mighty God we serve! Let us wait for Him, wait on Him, and practice those four aspects of His salvation and strength.

Wonder

What do you do when the Lord rises up to show you compassion?

Day 3

 Read 

I Samuel 1 

“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” - 1 Samuel 1:15-16

Consider

To be deeply troubled is neither wicked nor unbiblical. As a part of the birth accounts of Jesus, we read of people who devoted themselves to fasting and prayer as they waited for the coming Messiah. With the political upheaval, the oppression of the Israelites, and the desperation in the midst of wickedness, many were greatly troubled. What a great blessing it is to serve a God who encourages us to pour out our souls, even when it is out of anguish and grief. Hannah received what she asked for but there are millions of faithful followers who do not. Even the way Jesus came to earth was distressing and unwelcome to many of His day. Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us because this world is so broken that the only way God could redeem it was to send His only and unique Son. I have prayed out of great anguish and grief. I am among those who have prayed and not received what I asked for. It is the very dark extent of brokenness that drives my hope in Christ and the revelation of His light. For the true light has come into the world and even the deepest darkness will not overcome it. Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. As faithful as God was to send His Son, we can trust His promise that one day there will be no more anguish, grief, or pain. It is with this thrill of hope that the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and joyous morn.

Wonder

What made Hannah’s waiting so painful? Where can you go to pour out your soul?

Day 2

 Read 

Psalm 130

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

    and in his word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord

    more than watchmen wait for the morning,

    more than watchmen wait for the morning. - Psalm 130:5-6

Consider

How difficult is waiting? Why is it so often, so difficult? We are bound to our experience and locked into a limited perspective on the passage of time. It is fitting then, that patience is among the fruit of the Spirit. Have you ever waited for anything with your whole being? The entire basis of the cultural identity of Israel was that God was their redeemer. Today, we often consider repentance as the one time step that occurs right before we surrender to the work of Christ. When we become more aware of our corporate identity, our cry for mercy becomes stronger, louder, and continuous. The more we see people stumble, especially God’s people, the more hope we place in the coming of the Lord. Our focus shifts from a record of wrongdoings to the unfailing love of God, and our message becomes fixed on the Good News of salvation in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone.

Wonder

What does it mean for you to wait on the Lord?

Day 1

 Read 

Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation—

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

    of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1

Consider

To take part in Advent is to remember the anticipation of God’s people for the revelation of the Messiah. Some traditions mark this time through the Sundays leading up to Christmas day, but this year we will be daily reading the Scriptures and meditating on God’s light coming into the world through the birth of Jesus. I encourage you to read the whole passage before focusing on the devotional verse I’ll provide.

Psalm 27 reminds us that the light was not only to overcome the darkness but was the very provision of God for our salvation. It is fitting that we celebrate this time during the winter months when we have less and less natural light to fuel our days and refresh our bodies. For we were dead in our trespasses before putting our faith in Jesus Christ. His light gives us confidence, shelter, and a place in the house of the Lord forever. Candles are intimately connected with the Christmas season for this very reason.

Wonder

Light a candle to symbolize the light of the world coming into our 

darkness. Spend a little time today imagining what the world was like before Jesus was born.