Category: Advent

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A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

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We believe that self-reflection and meditation is a significant part of our ongoing Discipleship. As such, regularly (at least weekly) reflecting and journaling out responses to deep questions is an essential part of our Spiritual Formation.

Take some time today to reflect and journal on the following questions:

What are you willing to surrender to God in order to grow in your relationship with Christ? 

What are you unwilling to surrender? How may God be inviting you to surrender this area of your life over to Him? 

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Prince of Peace

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In the Old Testament, the theme of Peace is often communicated by the ancient Hebrew word Shalom. The concept of Shalom was (and continues to be) common in Middle Eastern culture. The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary notes that saying “Peace” in a greeting is akin to “may you be well.” It goes on: “To be well is, of course, to be ‘whole, to be complete,’ to have physical and spiritual resources sufficient to one’s needs.”

Interestingly, the word shalom comes from a more primitive term, shalam. And shalam adds additional meaning which is sometimes lost. The meaning of shalam may be translated as “to pay,” “to recompense,” or “to restore.”

Tying these together, the text of Isaiah 9:6-7 is quite significant. Not only did Isaiah prophecy that God would send a child whom would be known as the Prince of Peace, but this child would pay for and/or restore things back to their created order. For all who have professed faith and trust in Christ, you have been 100% restored into the family of God. Not 10%. Not 95% But 100%. No need to earn God’s favor. He has already given it, and given it in abundance. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     ISAIAH 9:6-7, 2 THESSALONIANS 3:16,  (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: “God with us,” was lived out fully through the life of Jesus. What are some specific ways you have experienced God being with you and for you throughout this past week? 

DIGGING DEEPER: Take the opportunity to write out your own prayer to God, thanking Him specifically for all of the ways He has been with you and for you this week. Also, considering sharing with at least one other person one way you’ve experienced the peace of God this week.

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, when I pause to reflect on the ways You have been with me and for me, I am truly amazed to see how many aspects of my daily life include You. Thank You for being with me and for me at all times and in every situation. May my heart grow in a heart of wonder because of the love You reveal to me each and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Experiencing Peace

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In a short book titled Searching for and Maintaining Peace, Father Jacque Philippe writes, “Often, we cause ourselves to become agitated and disturbed by trying to resolve everything by ourselves, when it would be more efficacious to remain peacefully before the gaze of God and to allow Him to act and work in us with His wisdom and power, which are infinitely superior to ours.”

Admittedly, this short book is filled with wisdom and insight on the topic of peace. But let us focus on two noteworthy points regarding the above quote: First, we “become agitated and disturbed by trying to resolve everything by ourselves.” In other words, the desire to control other people or circumstances is a strong urge of all people. We must surrender this desire, acknowledging God is fully in control. 

Second, the author notes to “allow Him to act and work in us with His wisdom and power.” Wisely, Philippe recognizes that a lack of peace regarding a person or situation isn’t always resolved with that person or situation. Instead, a lack of peace receives healing by allowing God to be at work within us. He and He alone can provide the peace to continue onward.

READING & PRAYERS:

     ROMANS 8:31-32 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: How is your soul today? What may God be inviting you to bring to Him so you can receive healing from Him? 

DIGGING DEEPER: Consider spending time in the presence of God for 5-10 minutes (or more) in complete silence. You need not say or pray anything to God. Instead, with hands outstretched and palms turned upward, receive from God. Allow Him to do within you what only He can do. 

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize that every single day somebody asks, “How are you?” And every single day I’m tempted to say, “I’m fine,” or “I’m good.” Yet when I consider the state of my soul, I know there are areas of my life that are not experiencing ongoing peace. Help me to be real with myself and with others about how I’m doing, and lead me into strong relationships with others who will be with me and for me as I grow in Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Searching for Peace

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Generally speaking, it isn’t a difficult task to discover the areas in your life in which there is a lack of peace. However, it takes a great deal of energy to pinpoint the specific ways you may try to fill the void of peace in your life. Below is a list of unhealthy ways people may seek peace in their lives. 

Searching for Peace in what you know: e.g., If I read the right book, listen the right podcast, pray the right prayer, go to the right church, then I’ll experience peace. So I’ll continually fill my mind with new information.

Searching for Peace in what you do: e.g., If I just dedicate myself fully to my work and am able to be “successful,” then I’ll experience peace. 

Searching for Peace in your relationships: e.g., As long as everybody I interact with likes me, then I’ll be at peace. So I’ll just do everything I can to ensure people like me.

Searching for Peace in what you have: e.g., If I buy this item on sale…If I have a good home to live in…If I have a good body…If I have _______, then I’ll experience peace. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     NUMBERS 6:24-26, ISAIAH 9:6-7 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: What are some of the specific ways you may be trying to fill the void of peace in your life? 

DIGGING DEEPER: Write down at least 3-5 ways you are currently searching for peace outside of Christ. Anytime one of these thoughts enters your mind, write it in a journal and identify it as a lie, and then replace that lie with a Scripture verse you can cling to. 

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess that I am regularly searching for peace in places I will never find it. Continue to help me identify all of the unhealthy ways in which I search for peace. And help me to remember that I will never find it outside of You. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Receive Peace to Give Peace

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John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.”

Take a moment to consider a time when you were in an environment with a lot of tension. Maybe the tension was due to a relational conflict. Or perhaps there wasn’t a relational conflict but the anxiousness of others seemed to impact everybody else. The anxiousness of others slowly began to impact others.

We’ve all experienced this scenario on some level. And it reveals an important principle. A principle which is easy to understand when it comes to finances or personal possessions, yet may be neglected or forgotten when it comes to the Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. 

Key Principle: We cannot give others what we do not possess. 

Let’s personalize this principle around the topic of Peace: You cannot help others experience peace if you are not living in a state of peace. Similarly, you cannot lead others to the true source of peace if you’re continually trying to find it elsewhere.

READING & PRAYERS:

     JOHN 14:27 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: In what area(s) of life are you currently experiencing a lack of peace? 

DIGGING DEEPER: Why do you think you have a lack of peace in these areas of your life? (e.g., Are you trying to find peace in what you do? What you have? What others think about you?) What would it look like for you to begin seeking peace from the true source – Jesus? 

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I recognize that I cannot give to others what I cannot possess. Reveal to me any additional areas of my life that may not be at peace. I pray that You would do a mighty work in these areas of my life. Refine me, so I may experience the kind of peace only You can provide. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

(Begin with 1-2 minutes of silence)

We believe that self-reflection and meditation is a significant part of our ongoing Discipleship. As such, regularly (at least weekly) reflecting and journaling out responses to deep questions is an essential part of our Spiritual Formation.

Take some time today to reflect and journal on the following questions:

What are you willing to surrender to God in order to grow in your relationship with Christ? 

What are you unwilling to surrender? How may God be inviting you to surrender this area of your life over to Him? 

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Assurance of What Will Happen

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Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

There’s a joke some use in our culture to express a confidence about what they will do the following day. For example, somebody may quip, “Remember that one time when I went out to buy a new car tomorrow?” It’s spoken as a future event but with a humorous sense that it has already happened.

The Greek for the word confidence in Hebrews 11:1 is somewhat unique. Other English versions translate this word as assurance, or reality, or certainty. It is an inward attitude. It’s not a wish of what might happen, but an assurance of what will happen. Not in humor, but in absolute confidence.

While we do not know the author of the Book of Hebrews, he was likely very educated and knew this kind of language parallels that of Isaiah 9. This brief section in Isaiah are written in what scholars refer to as the prophetic perfect. They are events which are described as being in the future yet also written as if they’ve already happened. They were written with the confidence and assurance that they would happen. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     HEBREWS 11:1, ISAIAH 9:2-7 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Take the opportunity to examine your current hopes. How may God be inviting you to not only hope, but to grow in confidence that what you hope for will actually happen?

DIGGING DEEPER: Trying to control a person or a situation to your desired outcome isn’t hoping for something, it’s more likely manipulation. How may God be inviting you to give up control and instead maintain a confident hope? 

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge there are some days in which I have tremendous confidence that Your will be done. Days in which I experience peace and contentment beyond measure. Yet there are also days in which I live as if there is nothing to hope for. May I grow in confidence that Your hopes and desires will come to fruition, and that I will get to experience the fulness of Your hopes! In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Jesus’ Heart is a Heart of Sacrifice

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Romans 15:3 For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.”

It’s a sad reality that in our day and age there are some who believethat ultimate truth does not exist. Unfortunately, there are also those who disagree with this idea so strongly they try to force truth onto others.

As an example, there are those who declare absolute truth is found only in Jesus Christ, yet this is declared not in humility, but by bashing people who disagree. As Brennan Manning has written, “We miss Jesus’ point entirely when we use his words as weapons against others.”

Instead, followers of Jesus need to recognize what Pastor and author Timothy Keller came to conclude: “At the very heart of [Christianity] was a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this could only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them. It meant they could not act in violence and oppression toward their opponents.” 

READING & PRAYERS:

     ROMANS 15:3, JOHN 6:38 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Are there any areas of your life in which you try to force truth onto others? How may God be inviting you to a radically different way of dealing with those who think differently from you? 

DIGGING DEEPER: In John 6:38 Jesus says he came not to do his will, but the will of God who sent him. If you had to summarize it in one sentence, what is the one purpose God has for you to live out? 

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as the season of Advent begins, I pray that You will break my heart for what breaks Yours. Reveal to me the areas of my life in which I may use Your words as weapons against others. Break my will, and lead me deeper into a life of Your will – praying for the forgiveness of those who wound me, and living without oppression or manipulation toward others. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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The Light Shines in the Darkness

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John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

Yesterday we noted that the people of God had been waiting hundreds of years for their coming Messiah. Approximately 400 years had passed since the last of the Old Testament writings. To make matters worse, their entire country had become overwhelmed by the Roman Empire. Israel was no longer it’s own nation. 

With so much time, there were likely some who had given up hoping for a coming Messiah. Similarly, there were others who were hoping for a warrior king to arrive to overthrow the evil Roman Empire. Those who maintained a hope in power and strength. 

But there was also a remnant of people who continued to have hope for a coming Messiah. A people who meditated on Old Testament prophecies. A people who prayed with a desire to understand the heart of God. A people who prayed for God to do what only God could do. A people who hoped to one day see a “Light that shines in the darkness” be fulfilled. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     JOHN 1:5, 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: Is there any area of your life which has been consumed by darkness? What would it look like to begin allowing God to be light in this area of your life? 

DIGGING DEEPER: Write down a list of things that could potentially be leading to you experiencing despair in this area of your life. Consider what steps you may need to take to begin eliminating these thoughts or activities from your life one by one. 

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I confess there are areas of my life in which I desire You to fulfill my will instead of me seeking to understand Your heart and fulfill Your will. Continue to mold me into one who is able to see the world, people, and circumstances through the lens of the Scriptures. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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Waiting for Light

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Isaiah 9:2 People who walk in darkness will see a great light.

In her book Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown notes that one of the most experienced emotions is Disappointment. This emotion may be felt more often during the Holidays. There’s disappointment about what gifts were or were not under the tree. Disappointment about not having the opportunity to spend time with specific family members or friends. There’s disappointment about a lot.

Sadly, ongoing disappointment may also lead to a lack of hope. Some may have thoughts of, Why hope for something when I know I’m going be disappointed anyway? Or worse, I don’t have anything to hope for. Life is hard and it isn’t going to get any better.

But when you think back on the people of God before Jesus’ birth, they had even less reason to hope. Approximately 400 years had passed from the time of the last writings of the Old Testament. Hundreds upon hundreds of years had passed since prophecies about a coming Messiah. Despite their circumstances, a remnant of people continued to hope. 

READING & PRAYERS:

     ISAIAH 9:2, LUKE 1:78-79, JOHN 8:12 (also read the commentary notes in your Study Bible of choice.)

QUESTION: What is something you used to hope for but no longer do? What would it look like to begin hoping again?

DIGGING DEEPER: Write down all of the reasons (or thoughts) you have for no longer having hope in this area of your life. Ask yourself, where do these thoughts come from? Are they in alignment with the Scriptures? Then consider what steps you can take to begin thinking differently, allowing yourself to hope.

Take a Step: Practice listening to God by utilizing the One Minute Pause app at least twice a day.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I’m beginning to recognize that I experience disappointment far more than I would have thought. And I confess this has led to me having less hope. As Romans 12:2 says, help me to change my thinking so that I can experience a life filled with hope and not a life of despair. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

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