Advent Devotionals – 12.6.2021 to 12.12.2021
Advent Devotionals – 12.6.2021 to 12.12.2021
December 6th
Mindy Humphrey
Philippians 1:20; 2:3-11 – 1:20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus has changed my perspective; not in just how I look at the world, but in how I interact within my circle of influence. As I have grown older and wiser spiritually, I have learned to engage my faith to control what I can control. And, to trust God to do what only He can do. Asking the question, “Does this have eternal significance?” before saying “yes or no” to a request or before arguing because I feel I am right, guides me in how to respond within my circle of influence. If the answer is yes, then I pray and trust God that He has called and equipped me to invest. If the answer is no, then I trust my faith in God to do what only He can do and I do my best to let go and move forward.
Jesus-Thank you for changing my perspective which helped me to see my purpose and role in Your kingdom. Today, give me eyes to see as You see. Ears to hear as You hear. Words to speak as You speak. Love to love as You love. Who needs me to be Jesus to them today? I don’t want to miss the opportunity to serve You today. Equip me for today. Help me to keep my perspective aligned to eternal significance.
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December 7th
LouAnn Shoaff
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
Recently I met up with a family for a visit at a local park. It was a cool overcast day so even though I had a sweater on, I threw on a jacket too. When we first met at the park, one of the teenage girls had on a long sleeve shirt but was also hugging herself to stay warm. I went to her and greeted her with warm words, but it wasn’t until later I realized she needed my warm jacket more than she needed my warm words. Fortunately, her grandmother was there and provided her with a jacket in short time. It wasn’t until later that I thought of my missed opportunity of instinctively showing God’s love by offering her my jacket.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to make the sacrifice of sharing my jacket, I just simply didn’t think of it! Where was my heart? How many other times have I missed a need or an injustice where I should have responded automatically?
Even though I give of my time, talent, and money, most of my actions are planned or thought out beforehand. My desire though is that I will have a change of heart and that I can provide Godly actions that become second nature to me. I know that God is merciful and patient and will not give up on me. I just pray that I can become purer in heart so that I can be a more responsive blessing to others.
Dear God, change me from within and give me a pure heart that will respond instinctively to the needs of your people.
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December 8th
Jody Heiman
2 Corinthians 1:20, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
The Holy Scriptures reveal who Jesus is and is my guidebook for life. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 33:5, “For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all he does.” I love this verse because I believe the Bible to be the Holy Word that God spoke through His people and through which God continues to speak and reveal Himself to me.
The second half of this verse states that He is faithful in all He does. I thank God that He doesn’t give up on me even when I fail Him. His love and His grace never cease to amaze me.
One of my favorite songs is “Yes and Amen” because it is a powerful reminder that God is forever faithful no matter what is going on in my life or in the world. When I look back over my life, I can see His faithfulness which gives me assurance that He will continue to be faithful to me in the future. It is in and through Christ Jesus that God keeps all of His promises. “Faithful, You are, Faithful, forever, You will be, Faithful You are, All your promises are Yes and Amen. All Your promises are Yes and Amen.”
Thank you Lord for how You reveal yourself in not only your Word, but in my everyday life. Help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit, to feel Your Presence, and to be reminded of Your faithfulness in all of life’s ups and downs. You are an awesome God, and I am eternally grateful for Your never- ending grace for me. Amen.
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December 9th
Kathy Overfield
Humble and Kind
Ephesians 4:2. “Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
This bible verse is one of my favorites. It reminds me of my husband, Keith, who lived most of his life as a humble, gentle and patient man. When he passed away unexpectedly in January 2021 my world was shattered. The heartache and the loneliness have been almost unbearable. But having Jesus in my life, as I try and navigate this life without Keith, has made an immeasurable difference. It’s comforting to know that with Jesus we are never alone. He can hold our hand when we go through a journey of sorrow and pain.
Scripture paints a picture of what humility looks like through the life of Jesus. During his life Jesus served others by washing the feet of his disciples, healing the sick, spending time with those society saw as outcasts, and even feeding thousands. Jesus had a heart to serve and help those around him. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve others…”
A few months after my husband passed away, my daughters and I started volunteering every Tuesday morning at the Evansville Rescue Mission by serving breakfast to the residents there. It is not only a true blessing to serve them, but also to see how Christ has worked in our lives during this time.
Jesus, I thank you for being present in my life. I ask that as we enter this holiday season you help guide me to live a life that reflects you. Help me to have eyes to see those around me, to help the next one in line, and to always stay humble and kind.
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December 10th
John Pfeffer
CHAINS
Romans 8:1 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
As Christmas draws near, we often hear, read, or see the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. In it the ghost of Jacob Marley shows up in Scrooge’s dream wearing heavy chains. The chains represent all of the sins he has accumulated in his life.
Many times I can feel like Jacob Marley. Maybe you do, as well. Looking back on our lives, we can be reminded of wrong things we have done. They can weigh us down, even to the point of not being the effective Christians we are called to be.
However, this should not be the case for us. Paul explains in Romans chapter seven how there is a war going on inside of us between the power of sin and the greater power of Christ’s forgiveness. He then tells us in Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
This bible verse has changed my life. It means three things to me:
First and foremost, if we confess our sins to God, he wipes them away through Jesus’ death and resurrection. God remembers it no more.
Even though God chooses to forget those sins, I sometimes let the chains of those sins to still drag me down. That’s when Romans 8:1 helps me in a second way: it reminds me that because God has forgiven me, I need to shake off those chains and accept God’s love and forgiveness.
Third, I need to remember that because God has forgiven me and “there is no condemnation for those who are Christ Jesus,” I need to do the same: live without condemning others. Our unforgiveness can be heavy chains that can weigh us down as well.
Do you need to ask God to forgive you? Do you need to forgive yourself because God has already forgiven you? Or do you need to forgive someone else? Doing all of these things can free you so to become the strong Christ-follower Jesus wants you to be.
Jesus, thank you for breaking us from our chains of sin. Help us to live freely, basking in Your love, spreading Your Good News to the world. Amen.
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December 11th
Joe Vetter
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs:16:9)
“One inch!” “You are telling me that my entire future as a USAF pilot rests on the measurement of my sitting height that exceeds the standard by one inch?”
This was my response to my AFROTC commanding officer who didn’t relish telling me the news of my pre-commissioning physical any more than I enjoyed hearing it. Being an Air Force pilot was supposed to be my plan, my destiny, my chosen career for the future. While all my ROTC buddies were going off to fame and glory at pilot training, I was off to Oklahoma. No disrespect intended towards the State of Oklahoma or being a second lieutenant in Security Police, but this was not my plan for my life.
For years I wondered why the Lord would re-rail my plans for the future. Had I done something wrong? Was I being punished for something I failed to do? These questions haunted me for years.
After many years of prayer, study and introspection it finally dawned on me that perhaps my answers could be found in scripture.
Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”
In short, I needed to understand that I should stop whining about the past and understand that His purposes for me required me to travel down a path vastly different than what I had planned. Moreover, I should praise his glory for leading me down the path He chose. He has blessed me with a beautiful family and a great career. As the old hymn goes, “God moves in a mysterious way,” such were the events in my life. I can now faithfully see how throughout my entire life Christ was nudging me in His ways to accomplish His purposes.
So as Christmas approaches, I get yet another year to experience the joy of Christmas in the company of loved ones and friends. I thank God for His many blessings and for having the opportunity to travel down His path which He chose for me.
I must confess that I still occasionally find myself looking skyward and thinking about the words of the poet. “Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings….and touched the face of God.” I still wonder how it might have been. I allow this indulgence only long enough to remember what our Lord said, “Many are the plans of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)
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December 12th
Pam Young
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
Esther was a Jewish queen of a Persian king. God placed Esther in the position as queen in order to save her people. God’s timing is perfect.
Jesus’ birth was planned from the very beginning of time and look what He did for our world. He saved us! God’s timing is perfect.
I also believe that God has placed me on this earth at just the right time. It is highly unlikely that I will ever save a nation like Esther did but I could possibly change someone’s attitude or make their day a little better by a kind word, a smile, a greeting card or even just a wave.
What an amazing difference Jesus has made and is still making in so many lives. He knows that we are all hurting for one reason or another and I believe that Jesus has placed me on this earth at this very time to shine his light on others and help make a difference. Jesus has taught me that if I step outside of my comfort zone and create acts of kindness, I could possibly change a life. The smallest act of kindness and respect could blossom into something that just might change a nation……for such a time as this.
Thank you, Jesus, for your joy that you have placed in my heart. Thank you for your Word that has changed my life forevermore. Amen.