December 5th

December 5: Jeremiah 33:14-16

Jeremiah 33:14-16  (NIV)

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

“‘In those days and at that time

   I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;

   he will do what is just and right in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved

   and Jerusalem will live in safety.

This is the name by which it will be called:

   The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

Reflection

Jeremiah speaks of a day when out of David’s line, a new King will be born. David was the great king of Israel. He was the king every other king was measured against. He was such a great king that God promised to preserve his kingdom forever. This meant that even after Israel's kings were all destroyed and overtaken by conquering empires, the people of Israel waited for God to keep His promise—to restore the kingdom. Jeremiah is talking about this promise and declares that a day is coming when the King will be reinstated and will establish a Kingdom that is right and just.

Christians believe Jesus is that King. And through the teachings of Jesus, we can read about the kind of Kingdom Jesus came to bring. It’s a Kingdom so beautiful that someone would sell all they have to acquire it (Matt. 13:44). It’s a Kingdom that makes room for the lost and the hurting, inviting the stranger and wanderer in (Luke 14:13-23). It’s a Kingdom described as a table, where all are invited to sit and eat (Luke 14:15-24). Ultimately, it’s a Kingdom where Jesus is King. This means that Jesus is king over those who belong to the kingdom.

Is Jesus your King? If so, do your plans this Christmas reflect that? What area of your life do you need to surrender back to Jesus this Christmas?

Prayer

Jesus, King of Kings, thank you for welcoming us to your Kingdom. Help us to live as ones who serve you above all others.

December 4th

December 4: Isaiah 11:1-10

Isaiah 11:1-10  (NIV)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;

   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—

   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

   the Spirit of counsel and of might,

   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,

   or decide by what he hears with his ears;

but with righteousness he will judge the needy,

   with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;

   with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Righteousness will be his belt

   and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,

   the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

   and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed with the bear,

   their young will lie down together,

   and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the cobra’s den,

   and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

They will neither harm nor destroy

   on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord

   as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

Reflection

God’s plan for the world is that it would be such a safe and welcoming place that our children could play without fear of getting hurt by any of a number of predators. God’s plan for this world is that we could all live like children, playing in the streets.

God didn’t just come to earth as a baby on accident. It was on purpose. God chose to enter the world through the eyes of a child. For even the Prophet Isaiah declared that this new Kingdom would be brought in by a child. When he grew up, Jesus was even bold enough to say that it’s only those receive God’s kingdom like a child who will enter it.

How many of us wish we could receive the Christmas season with the kind of wonder of a little child? What if this longing for wonder and mystery wasn’t just a feeling of nostalgia, but a part of God’s hope for our lives?

How can you receive Christmas more like a little child?

Prayer

God, the One who entered the world as a child, help me to enter this Christmas with the wonder and awe of a child too.

December 3rd

December 3: Isaiah 9:2-7

Isaiah 9:2-7  (NIV)

The people walking in darkness

   have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness

   a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation

   and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you

   as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice

   when dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

   you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

   the bar across their shoulders,

   the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle

   and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,

   will be fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born,

   to us a son is given,

   and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

   there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

   and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

   with justice and righteousness

   from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

   will accomplish this.

Reflection

Late in Paul’s ministry, he was arrested and put on trial as found in Acts 26. While there, he was given a chance to share his testimony. This was literally a testimony in a court of law, but it also served as his testimony in the way many Christians talk about “giving your testimony.” It was his story about what God had done in his life. During this story, he recounted his journey to Damascus where he met Jesus. On this Journey, Paul was made blind and later received his actual sight when he received salvation and forgiveness—his spiritual sight.

This adds even more weight to how he told the court about his experience. He said that when he encountered Jesus on the road, Jesus said, “I am sending you [Paul] to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins.” Paul’s mission, like Jesus’ mission and like ours, was to help each other move from darkness to light. This mission goes all the way back to the prophet Isaiah, thousands of years before Jesus or Paul. The need is simple: we tend to not see what we should see. We’re blind.

What have you been missing? What should you notice more? What about God, your life, your family, or your community has gone unnoticed? How might you open your eyes and see again?

Prayer

God, the One who gives sight to the blind, help us to not go through life without seeing the world the way you do. Open our eyes, so that we might see.

December 2nd

December 2: John 1:1-5, 14

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reflection

There are three rules for deciding the value of a house in real estate: location, location, location! The better the neighborhood, the better the value. People want to live in good places. Well, when you consider the great realm of the universe, the heavens would be very much the nice part of the city, and little ol’ earth would be the edgy part of town. If this is the case, the Christmas story is really a story of God leaving the heavens and moving to the edgy side of town.

Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase Bible, the Message, translates verse 14 like this: “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”

What would it be like if God became a human today and moved into your neighborhood?

Prayer

God, the One who draws close, help us this Advent season to sense you amongst our neighbors.