December 14
Bible Verses Covered
Devotion: At our house, Advent is celebrated by our making each day unique for our two young sons. Each morning, our boys pull a card dedicated to that day from a pocket in the Advent calendar. This is probably a conventional tradition. We plan activities like decorating the tree, baking and sharing Christmas goodies with friends and neighbors, choosing gifts for less fortunate children who may not be able to celebrate the holiday. Maybe even donating time at a local soup kitchen. Throughout the Advent season, while enthusiastically joining in these meaningful events, our children wait patiently (and sometimes maybe not so patiently) with hope in their hearts for their most anticipated moment of the year which always happens much too bright and early on Christmas Day. And every year, without fail, they truly believe that their fondest wishes will come true under the tree. They tirelessly write and rewrite lists and letters to jolly old Saint Nick, pour over toy catalogs, and discuss with each other every nuance and possible detail of Santa’s impending visit.
Advent is sort of like that. The anticipation sometimes becomes so great (it doesn’t help that holiday displays start appearing in stores by the end of October!), one starts to live less in the present moment and a little too much in the future, with everything leading up to the birth of Baby Jesus. Jeremiah must have known that kind of anticipation, too -- waiting for the promise of a new covenant with God. However, his unending faith must also have kept him secure in the knowledge that he would eventually receive the ultimate reward for his patience. Fortunately for us as we celebrate Advent, we worship a God who has already come to be in a relationship with us, through his son, Jesus Christ. So we practice waiting – waiting to celebrate Christ’s birth – and we carry hope in our hearts as we are reminded of God’s glorious plans for all of creation.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for keeping your promise to send your son. Help us to remember your promise to write your new covenant on our hearts, and to be grateful for a relationship with you that is renewed each day.
Devotion: At our house, Advent is celebrated by our making each day unique for our two young sons. Each morning, our boys pull a card dedicated to that day from a pocket in the Advent calendar. This is probably a conventional tradition. We plan activities like decorating the tree, baking and sharing Christmas goodies with friends and neighbors, choosing gifts for less fortunate children who may not be able to celebrate the holiday. Maybe even donating time at a local soup kitchen. Throughout the Advent season, while enthusiastically joining in these meaningful events, our children wait patiently (and sometimes maybe not so patiently) with hope in their hearts for their most anticipated moment of the year which always happens much too bright and early on Christmas Day. And every year, without fail, they truly believe that their fondest wishes will come true under the tree. They tirelessly write and rewrite lists and letters to jolly old Saint Nick, pour over toy catalogs, and discuss with each other every nuance and possible detail of Santa’s impending visit.
Advent is sort of like that. The anticipation sometimes becomes so great (it doesn’t help that holiday displays start appearing in stores by the end of October!), one starts to live less in the present moment and a little too much in the future, with everything leading up to the birth of Baby Jesus. Jeremiah must have known that kind of anticipation, too -- waiting for the promise of a new covenant with God. However, his unending faith must also have kept him secure in the knowledge that he would eventually receive the ultimate reward for his patience. Fortunately for us as we celebrate Advent, we worship a God who has already come to be in a relationship with us, through his son, Jesus Christ. So we practice waiting – waiting to celebrate Christ’s birth – and we carry hope in our hearts as we are reminded of God’s glorious plans for all of creation.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for keeping your promise to send your son. Help us to remember your promise to write your new covenant on our hearts, and to be grateful for a relationship with you that is renewed each day.