12/4-12/10

Advent Week 2 Devotional: LOVE

The writer of the New Testament letter 1 John describes God in this way, “God is love” (1 John 4:8 NIV). His letter continues by explaining, “This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9 NIV). The life God intends for us is made possible in and through Jesus. The life God has for us is to be loved, receive God’s love, and then give the love we have received to others (Matthew 22:34-40). In his letter, John shares it this way, “since God so loved us,” through Jesus, “we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11 NIV).

Yes, “we love because” God “first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV).

 

During the Advent season, we are reminded that God loves us. In response to the One who loves us with an everlasting love revealed through Jesus, we love God and others. One of the ways for us to live in this love from God through Christ is by spending time with Jesus each day, focusing our heart and mind on the source of hope, love, joy and peace. This daily devotional for the second week of the season is designed to help you focus on the LOVE of God. The format is designed for you to use as much or little as you have time to use each day. Below is a guide for the weekly and daily use of this Advent devotional:

11/27-12/3

Advent Week 1 Devotional: HOPE

For hundreds of years the people of God waited for the coming of the Messiah. And then, that first Christmas day, the waiting was over. The Prince of Peace arrived to usher in a new kingdom, God’s kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven (Isaiah 9:6). It is hard for us to grasp and fathom how astonishing it was that the God who created the universe and all that exists came to the earth to be with us in the person of Jesus (Colossians 1:15-16). It seems strange and unthinkable that the Messiah’s story includes an unexpected pregnancy and the birth of the Christ child in a barn in Bethlehem (Matthew 1:18 and Luke 2:6-7). Yet we are reminded by the prophet Isaiah and the life of Christ that God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8).

Sunday (11/20)

To conclude our reading of the Major Prophets section of the Old Testament of the Bible before transitioning to Advent we will read selections from the book of Daniel. After the Advent season the Your Faith Journey devotional will guide you to read portions of the 12 books of the Minor Prophets before we transition to the Gospel of Matthew during the 2023 Lenten season. The Introduction of the book of Daniel in The NIV Study Bible states, “The theological theme of the book is God’s sovereignty…The book is made up primarily of historical narratives (found mainly in chs. 1-6) and apocalyptic (revelatory) materials (found mainly in chs. 7-12).” The book shares part of the life and ministry of Daniel, who was taken captive with three of his friends by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, after Judah was besieged. In addition to serving as an advisor to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel served Nebuchadnezzar’s son, King Belshazzar, as well.

Sunday (11/13)

As we continue reading portions of the Major Prophets section of the Old Testament of the Bible, this week we will read selections from the books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The Introduction of Jeremiah in The NIV Study Bible states, “The book preserves an account of the prophetic ministry of Jeremiah, whose personal life and struggles are known to us in greater depth and detail than those of any other Old Testament prophet…Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry began in 626 B.C. and ended sometime after 586…Since Ezekiel began his ministry in Babylon in 593, he too was a late contemporary of the great prophet in Jerusalem.” Jeremiah was a priest called by God to deliver the announcement of the destruction of the kingdom of Judah, but the book ends with a glimmer of hope.

 

According to the Introduction of the book of Ezekiel in The NIV Study Bible, “He was among the Jews exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C., and there among the exiles he received his call to become a prophet.” The introduction also shares that this priest-prophet spent “the first seven years of his ministry (593-586 B.C.) relaying a message to his fellow Jews of divine judgment that included the oncoming fall of Jerusalem.” Eventually, “once news was received that Jerusalem had fallen, Ezekiel’s message turned to the Lord’s consoling word of hope for his people—they would experience revival, restoration, and a glorious future as the redeemed and perfected kingdom of God in the world (chs. 33-48).”

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Isaiah, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible. The video summarizes the scriptures of the ancient Jewish people that became the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is available on YouTube.

Sunday (11/6)

This week we are transitioning to the Major Prophets section of the Old Testament of the Bible. These books in the Bible are called “Major Prophets” because of the length of them compared to the much shorter length of the writings of the “Minor Prophets.” For this week we will read portions of the book of Isaiah. The Introduction of Isaiah in The NIV Study Bible states, “Isaiah son of Amoz is often thought of as the greatest of the writing prophets. His name means ‘The LORD saves.’ He was a contemporary of” the minor prophets “Amos, Hosea, and Micah, beginning his ministry in 740 B.C., the year King Uzziah died…He probably spent most of his life in Jerusalem, enjoying his greatest influence under King Hezekiah.” It is widely believed that Isaiah wrote this book of the Bible, but many scholars claim that there were others who contributed to the finished work of the completed book. According to biblical scholar Tim Mackie in The Bible Project Overview: Isaiah 1-39 video, the book of Isaiah includes a repeating theme of judgement for “Old Jerusalem” where there is rebellion, idolatry, and injustice among God’s people, then a refining fire will remove what is “worthless in Israel,” and God’s promise of hope for a “New Jerusalem” will eventually be fulfilled when “justice and peace” for people of all nations is there.

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Ecclesiastes, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible. The video summarizes the scriptures of the ancient Jewish people that became the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is available on YouTube.

Sunday (10/30)

As we continue reading the wisdom literature portion of the Old Testament of the Bible, this week we will read portions of the book of Ecclesiastes. Although the first verse makes it seem like the book was written by King Solomon, the notes from the Introduction of Ecclesiastes in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible claim that “the socioeconomic dimensions of its language seem to fit” the time of the Person Empire when the Israelites were in exile, which would have been hundreds of years after the death of Solomon. Biblical scholar Tim Mackie reminds us in The Bible Project Overview: Ecclesiastes video that “the Teacher” identified in verse 1 of Chapter 1, “is a character in the book and is different than the author of the book who remains anonymous.” Whoever wrote this book of the Bible wants the reader and hearer of it to know that meaning and purpose are found in and through God, not in wealth, career, status, pleasure, or elsewhere.

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Proverbs, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible. The video summarizes the scriptures of the ancient Jewish people that became the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is available on YouTube.

Sunday (10/23)

As we continue reading through the Old Testament of the Bible, this week we will read portions of the book of Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is the beginning of the wisdom literature within the Hebrew Bible. Although the book begins with the statement, “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,” the book contains contributions from others in addition to the wisdom shared by Solomon (Proverbs 1:1 NIV). In response to his prayer recorded in 1 Kings 3 King Solomon received God-given wisdom to reign and rule as the third king of Israel (1 Kings 3:10-12). This book of the Bible not only contains words of wisdom shared by the king, but it is designed for helping the reader and hearer of the verses to live well in the world God has created.

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Job, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible. The video summarizes the Hebrew scriptures of the ancient Jewish people. It is available on YouTube.

Sunday (10/16)

With the continuation of our read through of the Old Testament of the Bible, this week we will read portions of the book of Job. The book of Job is unique for multiple reasons, and it is considered to be an excellent wisdom text from the Jewish and Christian biblical canons. The story addresses divine justice and undeserved suffering with an artistic use of confrontation. The point of history when the story takes place is intentionally vague. The setting is not in Israel nor the lands of the Israelites. Most of the characters in the story are not Israelites. The one character who has an Israelite name is the youngest of the friends of Job having a long conversation with him throughout much of the book. Elihu begins speaking to Job in Chapter 32 after the older friends have had plenty of time to share their thoughts and beliefs with him. Although the reason why “blameless and upright” people suffer is not answered directly within the story, Job’s story points the reader and hearer towards trusting in God no matter what hardships or suffering comes.

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Esther, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible. The video summarizes the Hebrew scriptures of the ancient Jewish people. It is available on YouTube.

TaNaK/Old Testament by the Bible Project:

Sunday (10/9)

As we continue our read through of the Old Testament of the Bible, this week we will read the book of Esther. The book of Esther is one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman. It tells the story of the time when the Persians were the reigning political power within the lands where the Jews in exile lived. The book documents Queen Esther’s role, guided by her relative, Mordecai, in helping to save the Jews within the Persian Empire from being annihilated. Although God is not mentioned within the book, the Lord clearly worked in the lives of the king, Esther, and Mordecai for the protection of the Jews throughout the empire.

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Nehemiah, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible. The video summarizes the Hebrew scriptures of the ancient Jewish people. It is available on YouTube.

Sunday (10/2)

This week we are returning to our read through of the Old Testament of the Bible by turning to portions of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were written together as one scroll to tell some of the stories of the Israelites returning from exile after the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. The stories within the two books take place after the Persians had taken the place of the Babylonians as the reigning political power within the lands where the Jews in exile lived. The books document the rebuilding of the Temple, Ezra’s desire for spiritual and social renewal, as well as Nehemiah’s passionate effort to lead the Jews returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls around the city.

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through 2 Kings, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament. The video is a summary of the Hebrew scriptures. It is available on YouTube.