Advent Devotions

“The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.” 

Psalm 85:12-13 

Read Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 

The Santa season is at its full height. Stores and media sing and tell the Santa story. Though charming in a way, the belief that Santa is watching to know whether to punish (coal) or reward (gifts a-plenty) challenges the true Christmas story. Santa becomes a behavior modification device used to motivate behavior. The popularized Santa story prompts conformity, not transformation. Some of us grow into adulthood with that way of thinking. 

God’s story is different. God wants to forgive us and move us toward a truly changed life (Psalm 85:1-2). God wants to restore us to flourishing and to life abundant, speaking “peace” to us (v. 8). To accomplish this goal God comes to dwell with us (v. 9). The result of God’s coming is that we experience the abundance that comes when God’s “love and faithfulness meet” and God’s “righteousness and peace kiss” (v. 10). God wants what is good for us (v. 12) and promises to make a way for us to receive these good gifts by God’s presence. 

God’s free gift makes the coming of Jesus at Advent spectacular. We don’t deserve God’s grace and mercy, yet God becomes human and comes to give us this gift anyway. We deserved coal; we received God with us. That is the good news, that God in God’s abundant love and faithfulness brings us righteousness and peace. God comes, not because we earned it, but because we need God’s presence. That is what love does. God’s love gives freely. 

Jesus, we remember your love and faithfulness in this season. We receive anew your righteousness and peace that we might show others how good you are. 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 

Jeremiah 1:5 

Read Jeremiah 1:4-10 

I’ve been appointed to lead at various times in my life—as a head coach in high school sports, as a youth pastor, on a school board, to lead the Center for Community Transformation at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and many other spaces. I’ve seen victories; I’ve also seen failures. I used to think that my genius was validated by my victories. This led to failures being followed by cynicism and “what ifs.” In my cynicism I tore down without regard to much else. In my vulnerability, I said, “I wish I was different, God,” whether it be younger, more experienced, better spoken, etc. Maybe you have felt this too. 

God reminds me: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you.” The word consecrated means “having been made or declared sacred” or holy. In my times of failure, God sees me as holy. God made me this way and appointed me to lead in this role. 

Embracing my uniqueness can be difficult at times, especially in a world that seems to dislike differences. God said I am enough. I am holy not because of what I do, but because God said, “I consecrated you.” My holiness in God is not what I do, but who I am. Appointed to pluck up and pull down…to build and to plant. I must remember that tearing down is not enough, I am called to build and plant as well. Both my victories and my failures are God’s. I am God’s. 

God, you consecrated us before birth. Give us the courage to accept who we are, Imago Dei, to reject cynicism and embrace the hope of your promises fulfilled by holy childbirth in this time of Advent. 

“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” 

Ezekiel 36:26 

Read Ezekiel 36:24-28 

Hardening of the arteries is a common, life-threatening physical ailment. Becoming hard-hearted socially, emotionally and spiritually diminishes the circulation of the living spirit God has provided. Ezekiel and his countrymen experienced wartime devastation and forced removal from their land. Those who survived had many reasons to be bitter and hard towards God. The prophet took the risky position to tell them that the destruction came about because they turned their hearts from God’s way. Stone idols had filled their hearts, hardening them to the words of God. 

In exile, they heard the taunts that their god had abandoned them. God’s name was ridiculed by the nations and God responded jealously for God’s own name. God promised to restore the hills, valleys, waterways and cities and to return the people to their homeland. But bringing the people home again would not be sufficient if they returned to their old ways. They needed to change. A new heart and a new spirit would enable the people to follow God’s statutes and ordinances. 

One of my uncles was a popular and busy minister. A checkup determined that he had an enlarged heart and would need a transplant. He did receive the transplant, but it came at the cost of someone else’s life. He confided to me at one reunion that his priorities changed after that. He was more interested in playing with his grandchildren and being with people than dealing with the business of the church, among other things. His new heart of flesh gave him a new life. 

Remove the hearts we have allowed to become stony through our own pursuits. Put new hearts in us that will follow your life-giving ways, loving you and loving others. 

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” 

Mark 1:3

Read Mark 1:1-8 

“Pre – e – e – pare ye the way of the Lord!” It was spine-tingling, hearing the full chorus of John the Baptist and Company send forth the glorious challenge and invitation. Fresno Pacific University’s Theater Department was magnificent, performing Godspell in the new Warkentine Culture and Arts Center. We were electrified by the re-enactment of that grand announcement: It’s time to get ready. God is on the move. We were more than the audience. We were invited to sing along. 

That age-old announcement by the prophet Isaiah first reached despairing Israel in exile. “Prepare the way of the Lord! Get ready! Construct a road through the desert. God will lead you from captivity in Babylon back to your homeland.” And it happened! Exile ended—for some. It wasn’t all they had hoped for, but it was a start, a sign of things to come. 

Fast forward 500 years. This time John the Baptizer cries out: “Prepare the way of the Lord! Repent! Renew hope! God is on the move once more.” This time God arrived in person, transforming lives, inviting people to return from exile into the presence of a loving and forgiving God. 

Each year Advent season reminds us: God’s work is not finished. The invitation and challenge go forth anew. “Get ready! God is on the move!” God still changes people, changes circumstances. And one day, all that is wrong with God’s creation will be made right. Exile will be over once and for all. Till then the call goes forth: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” 

Prepare our hearts, Lord Jesus, to receive you into our lives, into our churches, into our world. As you once came to walk among us, come again to lead us all the way home. 

“For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 

Acts 2:39 

Read Acts 2:37-42 

As a parent, I hesitate to tell my sons, “I promise.” Knowing my own inconsistency and the unpredictability of life, I am loathe to make empty promises. God has no such qualms. 

In Acts 2 a confused crowd can’t make sense of what they are witnessing at Pentecost. Peter boldly preaches of a promise God made long ago being fulfilled in their midst. What they see and hear is the presence of the Holy Spirit, God dwelling in us. 

Starting with the prophet Joel, Peter reminds the people of God’s promise. God will pour out the Holy Spirit on all people, women and men alike (Acts 2:17). He connects the arrival (or advent) of Jesus, his death and resurrection, as all part of this same promise. The arrival (or advent) of the Holy Spirit, poured out on the disciples at Pentecost, is the work of the exalted Jesus (Acts 2:33). 

With new understanding, the heartbroken crowd chooses repentance and baptism. The expansion of the church is described, a transformed community that impacts the world. 

The promise doesn’t end with Pentecost. Peter declares the promise extends to future generations, to those who are far away, and to those who respond to God’s invitation. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is God’s promise for all of us. 

During Advent we celebrate the arrival of Jesus, also called Immanuel (God with us). We rejoice in the gift of the Holy Spirit (God in us) promised to us for the transformation of the world. This is no empty promise. 

Thank you, God, for fulfilling your promise. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit with joy, empowering us to bring hope to a weary world.