December 18, 2022

Advent Devotional

Scripture

Psalm 25

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
    do not let me be put to shame;
    do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
    let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right
    and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
11 For your name’s sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who are they who fear the Lord?
    He will teach them the way that they should choose.
13 They will abide in prosperity,
    and their children shall possess the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart,
    and bring me out of my distress.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 O guard my life and deliver me;
    do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all its troubles.

Devotional

The Rev. Antonio Lawrence, DMin student

I appreciate when the season of Advent comes around each year. It is that time where we anticipate the coming of Christ into a world desperately needing a savior. Advent is a time where we need the reminder that we have a God that is with us, even in the mess that we have created. Advent is a time when communities of faith can reflect and remember. We take the opportunity to reflect on where God has brought us from. We also embrace the opportunity to remember the God who has been consistent in the journey. As we with sit with Psalm 25 today it is a necessary reminder to continue to keep our trust in God. We approach this passage of scripture not knowing exactly when this psalm has been crafted, yet we know there is trouble present. Over the last few years, we do not know when the trouble would come, or where the trouble would come from in our lives. It was just an understanding that trouble would always be present. This passage of scripture reminds us that even with trouble being present, we can trust that our God is present with us. Psalm 25 shows us the power of repetition in the life of a believer. The ability to repeat the certain words or phrases is what continues to ground our faith no matter the season we are in. Psalm 25 gives us an image of hope to mature us spiritually along the journey of life. It reminds us that no matter how difficult the situation is before us there is someone who will have our back during it all. Is that not good news for the believer today? My hope today is that no matter what we face as life happens, we develop the ability to trust God no matter the transitions around us.

Prayer

God of grace and mercy, we thank you for the ability to guide us through life. Help us to learn how to trust you on a deeper level. Help us to reimagine a future that helps us model what faith, hope, and love looks like in public. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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