As a part of our Advent observances at Grace, we are making use of Concordia Publishing’s Behold the Child materials for worship. Our web devotions through Christmas will be guided by Pastor Kevin Golden’s devotional booklet written in support of the Behold the Child theme (you may purchase a downloadable copy of Pr. Golden’s book by following this link).
Prayer Pointers:
In thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness
In hope for replenishment and restoration
Text: Psalm 72:6
When the grass has been mown...the falling rain promises more fruit to be grown. –Pr. Golden
FOR ALL THE WORDS THAT have been written about life with God, Paul’s triad of faith, hope and love summarize as best as any what the Christian life is about:
+Faith: the believer can trust God to bless, and interact with the world in the present on the basis of that blessing
+Hope: the believer can move into the future confident in God’s care
+Love: the believer discovers the powerful joy of loving God simply because he’s God and being loved in return.
The Lord has acted, is acting and will act to bring his good purposes to completion. We are a part of God’s good purposes. Even when we have “reaped” the gifts of God, those gifts do not fail, but are ever green, ever new, ever dawning.
When morning gilds the skies, my heart awakening cries:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evening shadows fall, this rings my curfew call:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
May you live in Advent hope ~ Pr. Dave Brooks
--Quoted materials are from Behold the Child Daily Devotions #12-4563
© 2019 Concordia Publishing House. Used with permission under license 20:12-1. www.cph.org