Advent Light

-

 

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-3 (NRSV)

Arise, shine; for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

2     For darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

and his glory will appear over you.

3     Nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Devotion:

            We begin a new week of devotions looking at the theme of the coming of Jesus as Light. Here in Isaiah, we the prophet telling the people that even though they live in darkness they need not fear because God will send His light to them. So, even we in the 21st century, who dwell in another time of darkness need not fear because the child whose coming we celebrate in this season will bring light to us.

            Jesus the child we celebrate helps us to see in this time of darkness because his words bring comfort and hope to us. Jesus said of himself in John 9:5, “I am the light of the world.” Light is frequently used in the gospels as a way of describing what Jesus’ coming brought to the world. We like the Jewish people of Jesus day wonder how we can escape the darkness that we feel rising all around us. It seems that the power of darkness has extinguished all possibility of light ever shining again.

            We can take hope though. Jesus came as a child in a manger long ago. He came to shine the light of God in this world as John says in his gospel in verse 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” No matter what happens in this world. No matter how dark it seems to be growing we can look to Jesus and see the light of God shining in this world. We can place our trust in Jesus that he will always make a way for us no matter how dark and evil the world becomes; His light will triumph over it.

            Because Jesus is our light, we should bring light into the places we inhabit. Whether at school, work, or leisure we should reflect the light we see in Jesus. The church on earth is the visible representation of Jesus to the world. We are not independent of Jesus, but we are dependent on Him. We will reflect the light we receive from Jesus to the world that the world may know that Jesus was and is God incarnate. During this time of waiting for the Christ child we can use this opportunity to reflect Jesus more clearly to our watching world.

Prayer:

            Lord God Almighty, help us to become like Jesus in that we bring your light into a dark and dangerous world. Let us use this advent season to shine forth the light of Jesus to the world. We desire to lift the darkness we see all around us. We cannot do it apart from Jesus. Send us your Holy Spirit, O Lord. May we full of the Spirit be a witness to our dark and dying world. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapt...
Read more

The Hatred of the World

-
Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcom...
Read more

Reflecting on Reformation Day

-
  On October 31st, millions of Christians around the world celebrate Reformation Day, a commemoration of a pivotal moment in church history. It marks the day in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk and scholar, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. This act, challenging the practices and doctrines of the Catholic Church, ignited what we now know as the Protestant Reformation. The Courage to Stand for Truth Reformation Day calls us to reflect on the courage it takes to stand for truth. Martin Luther faced immense opposition and risked his life to speak against the corruption and abuses he saw within the church. His conviction was rooted in a deep understanding of scripture and a sincere desire to return to the teachings of Christ. As we remember Luther's bravery, let us examine our own lives. Are we willing to stand firm in our beliefs, even when it is difficult? Do we seek truth in God's word and let it guide our actions? Script...
Read more