Weekly Devotion

While my wife, daughter, Cedar her border collie, and me were going for a sunset paddle tonight, we were engaged in a lively discussion about gift giving. We had received some gifts from friends who we didn’t have gifts for this year. It was partially a timing thing, partially a Covid thing, and partially just being forgetful. Awkward. Our nature is to follow up by going out and getting them something, but gift giving shouldn’t be about obligation or payback.

One Christmas Eve many years ago, my sister and I drove about 30 miles to attend a friend’s church instead of our home church. Neither one of us actively worshipped at the church we grew up in as children. For that matter, neither one of us actively worshipped anywhere except maybe on Christmas and Easter. I don’t recall why we decided to drive all that way on Christmas Eve, but I will never forget the divine experience from that night’s service.

With less than two weeks remaining until Christmas, most of us are scurrying around in attempt to get everything done on time. Shopping, wrapping, baking, planning, worrying, etc… It surrounds us every Christmas. The big question is if we’re prepared for Christmas.

Advent is upon us. Over the next four Saturdays, including the day after Christmas, we will be focusing on the arrival of our savior Jesus Christ. Many of us know the excitement and glory of Christmas Day. From my earliest memories, I’ve always been overwhelmed by the electricity leading up to Christmas. While December 25, is the day we observe the birth of Jesus Christ, most scholars don’t believe he was actually born that day, or even in December.

According to NIH, hope is “defined as a concept that suggests a greater emotional component than mere expectation.” We can survive many days without food, but not a single day without hope. Many people glean hope from things they can see or touch, or from a future shaped by human hands and efforts. For a Christian, our greatest hope comes from the victory our savior delivered on the cross. This devotion centers on the impact Jesus Christ’s promise has had on my son’s Christian walk.

For me, one of the most awesome parts of being a Christian is that it keeps me open to love and learning from a variety of sources throughout my life. Just when I congratulate myself for understanding life, I am awakened to the fact that I have a lot to learn. When I think I know God’s singular meaning to a certain passage of scripture, I’m blindsided by someone who shows me a whole new truth to that passage. This is where my friend Momma comes in.

It wasn’t until his graduation from college, that God spoke gently to my friend. While still on campus, sitting alone on a brick wall, it was God who revealed the unescapable truth to my friend. “Apart from me you can do nothing,” Jesus told my friend.

A loving relationship can’t grow without giving, without sacrifice, and without active communication. Think about the reassurance you get when you’re talking with your doctor about a serious or concerning issue you’re experiencing.

A loving relationship can’t grow without giving, without sacrifice, and without active communication. Think about the reassurance you get when you’re talking with your doctor about a serious or concerning issue you’re experiencing.

In a world of gray where many lines are blurred, Christian believers must face an ongoing battle of being both authentic and faithful. God’s word as breathed in the Bible, is clear about real (eternal) and worldly (temporal) loyalty. So Christians over the past 2000 years have walked tightrope between adopting society’s acceptable beliefs or following God’s ordained commands.