Living Faith Devotional 95

Advent 2024 – “Come, Let Us Adore Him”
Advent Week 3: Presence
12/15 – 12/21
 
During the previous two weeks of the Advent season, we focused on Preparation, Hope, Passion, and Peace. This third week we add Joy and Presence. During the reign of King Josiah of Judah, Zephaniah prophesied that after God’s judgment upon the kingdom, Yahweh, their true king, would be in their midst again after the destruction of the kingdom (Zephaniah 1:1; 3:15b NRSV). The prophet foretold that a season was coming to “rejoice and exult with all your heart” (Zephaniah 3:14b NRSV). That season arrived with the birth of the Christ child on the first Christmas day. Two thousand years after Jesus’ birth we continue rejoicing and passionately celebrating, especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons. The prophet’s message from the Lord provided hope, comfort, assurance of God’s presence, and revealed that the mourning of the people of Judah would not last forever but would be replaced with joy. Zephaniah shared that God “will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17 NRSV).
 
As we move into and through the third week of this Advent season, let your heart and mind meditate on God’s presence with us in and through Jesus, as well as in and through the Holy Spirit. Let the ongoing presence of the Spirit of Christ comfort you as the joy from the Lord shapes your attitude, thoughts, words, and actions. Remember that the God Jesus reveals “rejoices over you,” renews “you in his love,” and is singing over you during this season as we passionately celebrate, praise, and experience the Lord’s overflowing joy (Zephaniah 3:17).
 
 
Week 3 Daily Hymn:
“What Child is This”
Listen to the hymn, sing or play it if you’re a musician, or read the lyrics to prepare your heart, mind, and soul for time with the Lord.
 
Week 3 Bible Verses:
Sunday – Zephaniah 3:14-20
Monday – Isaiah 11:10-16
Tuesday – Isaiah 12
Wednesday – Mark 1:2-8
Thursday – John 1:19-28
Friday – Luke 3:7-18
Saturday – Philippians 4:4-7
 
Week 3 Daily Prayer:
You are encouraged to let the daily Bible verses guide your prayer before you conclude with the one from the United Methodist Book of Worship for this week:
 
O God, whose will is justice for the poor and peace for the afflicted,
let your herald’s urgent voice pierce our hardened hearts
and announce the dawn of your kingdom.
Before the advent of the One who baptizes with the fire of the Holy Spirit,
let our complacency give way to conversion, oppression to justice,
and conflict to acceptance of one another in Christ.
We ask this through the One whose coming is certain,
whose day draws near:
your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Sacramentary, U.S.A., 20th Cent.)

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