Advent Devotions

“For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.” 

Isaiah 61:8

Read Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 

Recently I met a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. As a young girl she saw her father killed and her mother raped. An orphan, she was left to care for her younger siblings. She and her parents had done no wrong to the people who attacked them, yet they were treated as if they had been murderers. I hope that no one reading this has had to live through similar experiences, yet we have all experienced unjust treatment (even if only for having been punished by our parents for some wrongdoing our siblings committed). It is not a pleasant experience, and our entire being cries out (even if silently) for justice. 

Isaiah 61 announces that the prophet was called to “comfort all who mourn” (v. 2). When Jesus read Isaiah 61:1-2a in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:18-19), he inserted a line from Isaiah 58:6, “to let those oppressed [by injustice] go free,” before declaring that these verses had been fulfilled on that day. 

Isaiah 61:8 says that God “loves justice” and “hates wrongdoing”; through Jesus God has made an “everlasting covenant with us” (see Jeremiah 31:31), one in which he can “faithfully give us our recompense,” bringing justice into the injustices we have suffered. 

The Rwandan survivor is not free of lingering emotional scars, but her walk of faith has taught her that in Jesus God redeems unjust situations in miraculous ways. That is the hope of the Advent season. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the new covenant in Jesus and the hope it gives that in him you redeem injustices. 

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand firm.” 

Ephesians 6:13

Read Ephesians 6:10-17 

“Which present is your favorite?” Have you ever been asked this question? We’re told to be grateful for every gift we receive. But let’s be honest, there’s aways one we really wanted, that stands out above the rest. 

Reading about the armor of God in Ephesians 6 can feel like getting presents Christmas morning. We’re grateful for each piece of armor. We know each is needed to stand firm and live like Jesus. But, while we might not say it out loud, we know which one is our favorite. 

This piece of armor gets the most attention. It is the piece featured in the sermons we hear and work we do at our home church. It is the piece missing from the churches we don’t attend or pastors we disagree with. For example, the piece of armor might manifest as truth (sound doctrine), righteousness (right living), peace (reconciliation practice), faith (charismatic expression), salvation (evangelism focus), the word of God (sermon-style)…there’s always a favorite. 

Yet if we want to stand firm, we’re told to take up the whole armor of God. We don’t get to pick favorites and toss the other gifts of armor aside. It’s an all-or-nothing situation and each gift is essential. After all, it was God’s unwillingness to pick favorites that brought Jesus to this world. Jesus came for all people, to redeem all our messiness, to become part of our story. He didn’t pick and choose. He embraced it all! 

Our Father, help us to recognize each piece of armor for the gift it is. Through your Holy Spirit, help us set preference aside so we might stand firm and live like your Son. 

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and for evermore.” 

Psalm 125:2 

Read Psalm 125 

One refreshing glimpse of goodness while living in California’s Central Valley during the pandemic was the daily view of the nearby Sierra Nevada. Majestic and serene they surround us, whether we are aware of them are not. During the pandemic it was impossible not to be aware of them—they were a daily blessing and beacon of hope, rising up through the refreshingly clear air because of the lack of smog due to a million absent vehicles. Their majesty constantly reminded us of their permanence and steadfastness. 

Like the psalmist proclaims about the mountains surrounding Jerusalem, the Sierras remind us of God’s constant presence among us. It was during the pandemic, a time of great fear and stress, that we were most aware of their company. They seemed to be reassuring us of God’s eternal presence. During less fearful times we can too easily forget God’s surrounding steadfastness and love. We are engulfed in the “dirty air” of our daily routines, easily forgetting God’s grand geography that so closely surrounds us. We are grateful for the rare breezy days that push back the haze and bring the snowy peaks into clear view again. We seem to feel God’s nearness more in difficult times, perhaps because the air is sharp and we see the hope of God through the eyes of a worried world. But God’s presence is always there, whether we are attuned to it or not. 

Lord, help us to be reminded of your eternal presence and steadfastness through the haze of our daily routines, no matter the circumstances. 

“But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” 

Malachi 4:2 

Read Malachi 3:16-4:6 

It is dark when I get into my car to drive into school. It is dark when I drive back home in the early evening. It is dead winter, and it sometimes seems as if the sun will never come again. The Bible reading for this day delivers strong warnings: the wicked and the arrogant will be consumed utterly, and not a trace of them will remain. But the prophet Malachi also offers a note of hope for the faithful remnant in this weary world: the sun is coming, and so is the Son. 

The passage speaks of a time when those who feared the Lord gathered together, offering mutual encouragement. They found solace in knowing that their words and actions were seen by God, and he took note of their faithfulness. In a world shrouded in darkness, these righteous souls stood as a radiant sun, reflecting God's glory and righteousness. 

The message from Malachi is clear: if our hearts are filled with a renewed reverence for God, we will shine as lights in this world, dispelling the darkness of sin and bringing hope to those around us. 

What does it mean to act as righteous people? It means we are called in our daily lives to bring light to those dwelling in darkness of all kinds. We are called to help heal all forms of injustice in the world. We are called to plant the seeds that will blossom into joy in the coming year, rejoicing in the return of the Son. 

Gracious and loving God, forgive us for the times we have allowed darkness to overshadow our lives, so that we may be radiant reflections of your love and grace. 

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” 

Hebrews 1:3

Read Hebrews 1:1-4 

“Don’t all religions really just believe in the same God?” students ask in my religion classes at Fresno Pacific University. It seems that many young people are tired of the pain that comes when people fight over religious issues and values, and want to heal division, not create more pain. Because of this they often emphasize the similarities between religions and wonder if, ultimately, all religions point to the same God. 

Hebrews 1 gives us a great way to respond to this question by reminding us of the ultimate reference point: Jesus. Do you wonder what is God like? We only need to look at Jesus, the exact representation of God. And when we look for God in Jesus, what do we see? We see a God who is unafraid to be vulnerable, like a baby. We see a God who, though the creator, sustainer and king of all creation, doesn’t broadcast his presence through the regular media channels of the day. Instead, he unexpectedly announces it to shepherds and foreigners. He loves people, not for what they do or achieve, but for who they are. He accepts people in their imperfections and inspires them to live differently. 

God, when seen in Jesus, is in many ways quite unlike anything seen in other religions. But the uniqueness of God-in-Jesus doesn’t have to lead to pain or rejection. Quite the opposite. Jesus reveals a God that not only created us, but also accepts and walks with us, even as he calls us to something greater. 

Jesus, thank you that you are God-with-Us and show us the true character and heart of God.