Advent Devotional, December 25

Titus 2:11-14

 

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all."

                                                                             (Titus 2:11)

 

Paul's words are simple, but powerful.  God has appeared before us as an act of grace.  God has come among us, not because we deserved such a gift, but because God has chosen to redeem.  This is a simple, but profound message.  

 

Amidst the tattered wrapping paper, as friends and family gather around you, or if you are pondering quietly by yourself the meaning of this day, hold fast to this truth...the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to us all."

 

May you know the treasure of this day in the gracious gift of God, given for all.

 

Joy to the world! The Lord has come!

 

Prayer: Almighty and Eternal God, for the gift of grace, the Christ of Christmas, we humbly give thanks. Amen.

 

Jim Abernathy

 

Thanks for sharing this Advent journey with me.  May the joy of God's treasure, Jesus, the Christ, be known within your heart on this and every day.  Merry Christmas!

 

 

Advent Devotional, December 24

Galatians 3:23-29

 

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

                                                                  (Galatians 3:28)

 

What does it mean to be one in Christ?  Our contemporary idea of oneness often centers around conformity which stifles individuality and limits creativity.  Paul isn't calling followers of Christ in today's text to suddenly disavow that which makes them who they are, but to recognize that the uniqueness of each person is a gift from the Creator. 

 

The gift of Jesus Christ doesn't erase the person you are. The gift of Jesus Christ transforms who you are and how you view the world. Again, Paul writes in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."   I believe that God is honored in the unique way we each live out this great gift of faith.  Oneness doesn't mean I think and act and believe exactly as someone else does.  By God's grace, the transformation is unique and therefore, so is the practice.

 

The Christmas story is full of unique characters. The child in the manger draws them, and us, to a shared expression of wonder and praise...one in the bond of love.

 

Prayer: God of one...God of all, in my own way and in the company of others, may you be honored in the celebration of Christmas. Amen.

 

Jim Abernathy

Advent Devotional, December 23

Titus 3:1-8

 

"But when God our savior’s kindness and love appeared, he saved us because of his mercy, 

not because of righteous things we had done. He did it through the washing of new birth and the renewing 

by the Holy Spirit, which God poured out upon us generously through Jesus Christ our savior."

                                                                                                                                (Titus 3:4-6).

 

 

Quoting a politician these days can be risky, however the words of our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, are worth noting in the context of mercy; "To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."  Plenteous in mercy...that's a phrase not always associated with Christmas, but God's redeeming work of salvation through Bethlehem's gift is the ultimate act of mercy.  Paul plainly tells Titus that the work of salvation was accomplished because of mercy.  The gift couldn't be earned, but instead was the free gift of kindness and love.

 

We struggle to receive something we don't believe we have earned.  "You shouldn't have," we sometimes say in protest when someone offers a gift unexpected.  No one could have anticipated the way Almighty God accomplished the work of salvation.  It was a gift of mercy for an undeserving people.  Thanks be to God for the real Spirit of Christmas, the Spirit of mercy.

 

Prayer: For the gift of Christmas so undeserved, yet given so freely, we give you thanks, Lord.  Amen.

 

Jim Abernathy

 

 

 

Advent Devotional, December 22

Psalm 112:6b-7

"...the righteous will be remembered forever! They won’t be frightened 

at bad news. Their hearts are steady, trusting in the Lord." (CEB)

                                                    

Fear is a powerful weapon.  It is often wielded by bullies in the schoolyard, terrorists in the marketplace, and politicians in debate.  Some use it as a tool to convince others to join their fight or support their cause, and some are paralyzed by its possibilities, real and imagined.

The Psalmist encourages the righteous not to be remembered for being captive to fear, but to be found with hearts made steady by trusting God.  Though bad news is a familiar companion that casts a shadow over our lives in this twenty-first century, the message of Christmas still empowers faith and trust in the One whose coming brings good news..."for today in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you who is Christ, the Lord."

Let us have steady hearts, dear friends...let us trust in the Lord.  

Prayer: May we find courage, Lord, to face our world with steady hearts, trusting you with each step. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Advent Devotional, December 21

 Psalm 62:1-2

 

"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken."

 

Silence is something we don't always associate with Christmas.  Though we may sing of a silent night, many of us struggle to find quiet moments in an often chaotic time.  

 

The Psalmist speaks of the unique relationship he has with God; "For God alone my soul waits in silence."  Here is recognition of the personal relationship between Creator and creation that blossoms in silence.  Listening for the voice of God is an intentional act done best in stillness.  Jesus encouraged his disciples to seek a quiet place to pray.  He wasn't limiting them to a particular room or time of day, but calling them to quiet, purposeful prayer.  

 

In some respects, the busiest days of the Christmas season may be the next few as final preparations are made.  Take seriously the words of the Psalmist and wait in silence for God.  In the midst of a chaotic world, you will not be shaken.

 

Prayer: I wait in silence for your voice, Lord. Amen.

 

Jim Abernathy 

Advent Devotional, December 20

I Peter 3:8-12

 

 ^"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,

because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

                                                                                     (I Peter 3:9)

 

Peter's words in our text have often been ignored in the heat of anger and retribution.  It is much easier to respond in kind to those who hurt you than it is to offer blessing. Peter's words are a reflection of what he learned from Jesus, and though he struggled with them during Jesus' earthly ministry, the passing years and experiences seem to have tempered his previously rash responses.  

 

Experience is a great teacher.  As we mark certain stages of life, we look back to see how differently we view life at that moment as compared to years gone by. In the months following the Allied victory in World War II, American General, Dwight D Eisenhower said, "I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."  The glory of war had given way to the painful reality of its cost in human terms.

 

We too easily allow ourselves to react in kind to those who hurt us.  Peter's words are not an invitation to abuse or weakness. On the contrary, it takes great courage to offer blessing in the midst of evil.  

 

Christmas comes to us in the form of a child who would be called, Wonderful Counselor, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Let us be grateful that God answered the evil of human sin with the blessing we inherit by faith and are called to share by love.

 

Prayer: Prince of Peace, work within my heart that I may repay evil with blessing.  Amen.

 

Jim Abernathy

 

 

Advent Devotional, December 19

Psalm 139

 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

                                                                                    (Psalm 139:23-24)

 

 

 

In the first third of Psalm 139, the writer seems frustrated at his inability to avoid God. "You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;it is so high that I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit?" Perhaps his words do not necessarily depict an attitude of avoidance, but rather that awkward uneasiness when one is confronted with his or her unworthiness in the presence of greatness. 

 

We witness the desire of the Creator to be at work in the lives of human creation throughout the stories of the Old Testament.  From walking in the Garden in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve, to the establishment of the covenant with Abraham which would find its ultimate fulfillment in Bethlehem, God continually positioned God's self in the presence of human experience, pursuing within the human heart that great work of redemption that was uniquely divine.  The Psalmist's progression in this text marks his understanding that the presence of God which at times seems overwhelming, is truly what leads him toward righteousness.  Having previously sought to distance himself from God, he now invites the Almighty to search him, his heart and his thoughts, and lead him in right paths.

 

His struggle is our human struggle of self-sufficiency. His deliverance is the eternal hope he finds in the presence of Almighty God...You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.

 

Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.

   

Jim Abernathy