Tuesday, December 2
Amos 3:1-11 You only have I loved so deeply of all the families of the earth. Therefore, I will punish you for all your wrongdoing. (v.2)
Ouch. The second sentence of this verse is painful to read. But doesn’t every parent (of either children or pets) know that we have to discipline—and occasionally punish—those we love the most, for their own good? As a good and wise heavenly parent, God does the same. Hebrews 12:6 says, “the Lord disciplines whomever he loves, and he punishes every son or daughter whom he accepts.”
Having lived more than 70 years, during 37 of which I’ve been a born-anew Christian, I’ve come to understand that while God’s discipline may be tough, it’s never mean or cruel. The One who love us unconditionally isn’t interested in breaking us. Rather, He yearns to restore us to the person He designed us to be. For those of us who may have experienced abusive childhoods, it may be difficult to understand that God is not out to get us. Tough love—the Divine kind—is actually good for us, and will help us grow in faith and character. Perhaps this Advent is a good time to present ourselves to the Lord for a much-needed makeover.
Psalms 5, 6; 2 Peter 1:12-21; Matthew 21:12-22
Wednesday, December 3
Matthew 21:23-32 Then Jesus went into the temple and threw out all those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It’s written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you’ve made it a hideout for crooks.’” (vv.12-13)
I don’t mean to be judgmental toward large non-denominational churches, but I have to admit honestly that I am bothered by the ones that feature cafés, shops filled with merchandise, tables stacked with books for sale, and other money-making ventures inside their “church” buildings on Sundays. Churches like these, which I have visited, feel more like a shopping mall than a place of worship. Do they remember this Bible verse? Do they not think it applies to them?
On the other hand, since Advent is a time of self-examination, perhaps we should each ask ourselves: From what do I profit, at the Lord’s expense? Have I failed to make our church a true house of prayer, either by my inattention, non-attendance, excessive social priorities, secret immorality, or... (you fill in the blank). We may need Jesus to push over some of our tables.
Amos 3:12—4:5; Psalm 119:1-24; 2 Peter 3:1-10
Thursday, December 4
Psalm 18:1-20 I love you, O Lord my strength, O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven. My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise. (vv.1-2 BCP)
Do you remember playing hide-and-seek as a kid? Whoever had the best hiding place won, because we couldn’t be found. As grown-ups, there are times when we still seek the strongest fortress or safest shelter, that place of refuge where the big bad boogeyman—or whatever we fear most, or is causing us maximum anxiety—can’t get to us. We tend to hide ourselves in the wrong things (overwork, substance abuse, emotional withdrawal); we even resort to counterfeit religious pacifiers. And when all else fails, we turn to God. Why can’t we start there? Listen to the psalmist, “I love you, O Lord my strength … my haven … my rock in whom I put my trust, my shield... my refuge; you are worthy of praise.”
During Advent, try going daily to the Lord in prayer with love and praise, and see how that “attitude of gratitude” begins to transition into greater trust, and an increased willingness to believe that God alone is our refuge and shield. Also: put on the armor of God! See Ephesians 6:10-17.
Amos 4:16-13; 2 Peter 3:11-18; Matthew 21:33-46
Friday, December 5
Jude 1-16 I must write to urge you to fight for the faith delivered once and for all to God’s holy people. Godless people have slipped in among you. They turn the grace of our God into unrestrained immorality and deny our only master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (vv.3b-4b CEB)
There’s little question we are living in an age of apostasy, heresy, syncretism (mixing the tenets of different religions), godlessness, and false teaching. Some of this theological garbage is coming from so-called “Christian” pulpits—on both the far right and the far left spectrums. First Timothy 4:3 says of such days as these: “There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will collect teachers who say what they want to hear because they are self-centered.” So how do we, as faithful believers, navigate our way through the muck? Discernment and prayer. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He knows how to guide us and, through the Holy Spirit, can lead us to the truth and give us the right words to say—although, we need not get into fights with those whose ideas are so wrong as to be actually sinful or evil. But we can certainly pray for them! And we might possibly have to disassociate ourselves from such people.
Advent is meant to be a season of self-examination, prayer, and charitable giving. What if we checked ourselves, too, for wrong ideas; prayed to be corrected; and then gave to a cause that Jesus would definitely support?
Amos 5:1-17; Psalms 16, 17; Matthew 22:1-14
Saturday, December 6
Psalm 20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, the Name of the God of Jacob defend you; Send you help from his holy place and strengthen you... Remember all your offerings and... Grant you your heart’s desire and prosper all your plans. (vv.1-4 BCP)
This might be a nice verse to enclose in a birthday card. Also, it reminds me of Psalm 37:4-5 (BCP): “Take delight in the Lord, and he shall give you your heart’s desire. Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, and he will bring it to pass.” There are times when I’ve been so bogged down with everyday activities and stresses, I can’t even imagine what my “heart’s desire” would be—except longing for everyone to know Christ and for Him to return and fix the mess we’re in. Beyond that high, near-apocalyptic aspiration, there must be something closer to home.
So, what’s your “heart’s desire”? Is it consistent with what Jesus would approve? Is it for the betterment of yourself or your loved ones, or the world we live in? Can you trust the Lord to “prosper all your plans,” or “bring it to pass”? I guess it comes down to the question for all of us: For what am I hoping? Again, we ardently hope for the return of Christ, and for His salvation for all people. But for what should we hope, or be doing, in the meantime?
Martin Luther said, “If I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant my apple tree.” I like to think about my “apple trees”: my family, my church, my writing... what apple trees can you plant as a way of staying grounded in God, no matter what happens? Take these few weeks of Advent to figure it out, prayerfully.
Amos 5:18-27; Psalm 21; Jude 17-25; Matthew 22:15-22
Sunday, December 7
Luke 1:57-68 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote “His name is John.” And they all marveled. (v.63 RSV)
Today newscasters will recall the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The event that drew Americans into World War II was communicated to the country over the airwaves of radio by a stunned and sober FDR.
Surprise is not only a fact of war. It is a fact of life! And for Christians, surprise is often what we leave in our wake. Those who observe our choices and responses are often amazed. In opposition to our culture, we are not to allow pleasure, profit, and convenience to dictate our actions. The guidance (and the power) of the Holy Spirit enable us not to simply do what others think we will (or should).
Zechariah knew what the Lord wanted him to do. He surprised his family and friends by going against their expectations. In order to honor God with his obedience he faced misunderstanding and criticism. We also run the risk of being falsely labeled when our choices catch others by surprise. But the label God gives us as “good and faithful servants” is the label that matters most.
Amos 6:1-14; Psalms 148, 149, 150; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Monday, December 8
Revelation 1:1-8 Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come... (v.4)
If ever there is a time of year when we could use a little more “grace and peace” in our lives, it’s now. The demands and the stress of the season are overwhelming. There are almost three weeks before Christmas and the needles on our emotional fuel gauge point to “E.” A silent night sure would be kind of nice. Even holy! Right?
A hundred years after the very first Christmas, the aged apostle wrote to the seven churches in Asia Minor. What he had to say to them applies to us as well. It’s an early gift with which we can celebrate Advent and not just tolerate it.
Grace and peace are being offered to us right now by the very One who is God and who came as man and who is coming again as our Sovereign King. All we need to do to receive this special offer is receive it. In prayer, let’s confess our needy state, our frenzied dizziness, the turmoil of list-making tendencies and ask the Christ of Christmas to grace us with an awareness of his unconditional love.
Amos 7:1-9; Psalm 25; Matthew 22:23-33
Tuesday, December 9
Psalm 26 O Lord, I love the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwells. (v.8)
Yesterday we referred to the “grace and peace” that the Living Christ longs to give us. One of the conduits through which we receive that blessing is the place where we regularly gather for worship.
How I love to retreat from the frantic holiday rush to the hush of the sanctuary. There, in peace and quiet I’m surrounded by the grace-full beauty of banners and candles and wreaths and trees. Through the windows of my church, diffused light illuminates the pulpit where God’s word is proclaimed. Also lit by the morning sun is the table where my hungry heart is nourished and the baptismal font where my identity as a child of God is silently declared.
In the house of God, I find grace and peace and symbols of a holiday to which our culture is sadly blinded. The sanctuary truly is a respite from the cacophony and chaos in which I am forced to maneuver to survive each week in the world. I am sanctuaried from a life spinning out of control. And best of all, I don’t have to wait for Sunday mornings to enter the doors of my church. Why not stop by your place of worship between Sundays this week to bask in the glory of God’s presence which is tangibly represented there?
Amos 7:10-17; Psalm 28; Revelation 1:9-16; Matthew 22:34-46