Weekly Devotion

During my reading this week, I came across a passage in 1 Corinthians that jumped off the page at me. The verse is so perfect and straightforward; I don’t know why I never recognized its power before. Immediately, I shared it with friends and family. It was like popping the top off a shaken can of Coke.

“I told him I would never love you less.” My friend (T) recently walked me through his long journey of faith. “I have never been shy about my faith,” he continued, “and while in college, my roommate started finding challenges with Calculus.” That was my experience in Pre-Calculus, I thought.

I was recently notified by a church email that he was on life support, and the outlook wasn’t favorable. I couldn’t call him, so I left a message on his phone telling him that I loved him and was praying for him.

True North is a reference to the direction of the North Pole from any given point. I find that I use this phrase often to describe my situation or when I check to see if I’m on the right course and right direction. I caught up with a working colleague and friend (J) to learn more about how God is working through his life.

There was a light unlike anything ever seen at the announcement of Jesus’ birth. The shepherds didn’t know what to make of this. I’ve always imagined God’s glory to be the brightest light ever, significantly brighter than any other specific thing. Kind of like being outside on a sunny day when you shield your eyes because of the sunshine, only to catch a reflection shimmering on the water that’s even brighter. That’s when you realize true brightness.

From the prophesies of Malachi in 430 BC until the appearance of John the Baptist in 1st Century Judea, there were no recorded words or writings in either Testaments in the Bible. RC Sproul labeled this dark era, “Dust to Glory.” The intertestamental period is also known by some as the “400 years of silence.”

Sometimes the Christmas season brings despair and loneliness instead of the happiness that is expected of the holiday. There’s a lot of pressure to be happy, to be dazzled, and to act like everything is great — even when it’s not. I’ve heard people tell me that Christmas can bring out the worst in people. We have ourselves to blame for this, it’s not a spiritual problem, it’s a societal problem. While the notion that there are more suicides during the holiday season is scary, according to the CDC, it’s a myth.

For many, the Christmas season is attributed to kindness and peace which is why it’s so appealing to the world. Everyone loves the festivities, joyful songs, blinking lights, and giving. What about the peace? As a believer I think it’s important to consider what kind of peace God had in mind with Jesus’ birth?

Sometimes the Christmas season brings despair and loneliness instead of the happiness that is expected of the holiday. There’s a lot of pressure to be happy, to be dazzled, and to act like everything is great — even when it’s not. I’ve heard people tell me that Christmas can bring out the worst in people. We have ourselves to blame for this, it’s not a spiritual problem, it’s a societal problem. While the notion that there are more suicides during the holiday season is scary, according to the CDC, it’s a myth.

This Sunday marks the second Sunday of Advent, a season of preparation for the birth of Jesus Christ. Advent, from the Latin word Adventus, means “coming”. Many churches recognize Advent as the 4 Sundays leading to Christmas. They use this as a period of preparation not only for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ but also as a time of preparation for His Second Coming.