December 19, 2022

Advent Devotional December 19, 2022

Scripture

Psalm 145

1 I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
    his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall extol your works to another
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 They will recount the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works I will meditate.
6 They will proclaim the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 The Lord is good to all,
    and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
    and all your faithful shall bless you.
11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
    and tell of your power,
12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and gracious in all his deeds.
4 The Lord upholds all who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open your hand,
    satisfying the desire of every living thing.
17 The Lord is just in all his ways
    and kind in all his doings.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
    and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

Devotional

Maj. Corinne Cameron, DMin student

Christmas evokes many different memories. These include decorating our homes, singing beautiful music, and enjoying family time with favourite treats. However, not all memories are filled with joy. We also have some memories that are tinged with both sadness and joy.

One example of a both/and memory is when I visited my dying grandma who suffered from dementia. It was the beginning of December, and I quickly ran out of things to say. I turned to my aunt who suggested I sing Christmas carols to Grandma. As I sang, my grandma joined in and we sang together for over an hour. This was the last time I spent with her. It is a Christmas memory that is filled with both joy and sadness.

In our psalm for today, we read how the psalmist remembers the wonderful deeds of God (v. 6). We also read of sorrow as the Lord promises to raise those who are bowed down (v. 14). In both these joy-filled and sorrow-filled memories, we read that the Lord is present. The Psalm invites us to remember that the Lord is near (v.18) and believe that the Lord hears our cries (v. 19).

This year, as we make new memories, let us invite God into all of our memories.

Prayer

Memory-making God, we thank you for your presence in our lives. Today we give to you our both/and memories as we draw near to you and listen to your voice. Amen.

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