Weekly Devotion

Christmas isn’t about the birth of this perfect baby. It’s not the stark manger in a dark and smelly stable, and it’s definitely not about three wise men or kings bringing gifts to a child. Christmas is a promise.

When God gets glory for something monumental, is it a miracle? I’m not sure I would classify my friend’s trial outcome as a miracle, but without a doubt, God’s glory and mercy were involved in the decision.

Central to my Advent worship and preparation are some of these pivotal items: Am I authentic in my faith? Do I fear God with reverence and trust? Do I focus on His kingdom rather than mine?

“Hallelujah is almost music already, even without a musical setting.” While “Hallelujah” glorifies God in religious contexts, it’s also a common practice for non-religious people to use it in informal settings when expressing excitement, joy, or triumph.

The cancer that took our friend robbed her of her life but not her dignity or peace. I studied her face for a while and noticed that she didn’t look pained or sick. She looked like she was resting.

I’m not saying God punished me for treating my good health as random, earned, or outside His plan, but God might have been trying to get my attention.

On the morning of election day, I read a tweet from an influencer I’m “friends” with stating that this day is probably the most important and biggest day of her life.

Grace is not love. It is so much more. Grace and love are related but reside on different levels. I see Grace as an explosion compared to a spark. Love is often rewarded to people because of circumstances or merit.

When I was a child, I was taught to pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the LORD, my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the LORD, my soul to take.” On the one hand, it showed me the authority of God, but it left me empty in terms of a loving relationship between a father and child.

Nothing happens outside of His knowledge or control, whether in nature, human events, or our lives. Those who believe in God’s sovereignty trust that everything happens according to a divine plan, even if it isn’t always clear in our limited understanding.