December 10, 2022

Advent Devotional December 10, 2022

Scripture

Psalm 149

1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy on their couches.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
    and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations
    and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters
    and their nobles with chains of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed.
    This is glory for all his faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!

Devotional

Wade Massey, MDiv student

How can you not love this time of year and be associated with this school? When Jesus was born, the foretelling of the Christ Savior had been known for centuries. Imagine who was present in that time: Joseph, Mary, and three strangers who traveled from the East. They all trusted and rejoiced in Lord. Joseph to help raise, comfort, and provide for the Messiah. Mary to carry and bring the son of God into the world. The three men who traveled to witness the marvel of God and bless the infant who would be king. They all assembled, they were all faithful, and they all rejoiced.

Rejoice in the Lord for he loves us even when we do not love ourselves. Love is a powerful emotion. We cannot contain it, we cannot control it, we cannot hold it in our hands; yet we feel it, it grows, and it encompasses and envelopes us. If we take away what we think we know about love, what we have experienced in love, and what we see as love, and replace them with examples of God’s steadfast love and Jesus’ love, we will get a clearer picture of the beauty of love and we will rejoice.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we humbly submit to your will and the direction that you have outlined for each of our paths. Please reinstate humanity to a brotherly bond and let us all know the true meaning of love so that we can rejoice in it. Please help us to remember the perfect gift of Jesus and His sacrifice that you gave to us along with the unselfish love that you have shown us for ages. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen.

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