Where love breaks in
This is what happens when God’s power breaks in: darkness is cast out. The power of evil spirits is broken and driven away. The Holy Spirit creates a pure atmosphere, one of unity and of peace.
The little stable in Bethlehem was a place where God’s love broke in. While on earth, Jesus expected God’s kingdom to break in. His expectation was that light must break in upon this darkened earth. He saw that death had heaped up a barrier so that light could not come into life on earth. Therefore he sacrificed his life so that in the area of death an opening might be made; so that there might be a rift in the layer of gloomy fog around the earth – an opening through which the light of God could come in. If a house has even only one window where the sun shines in, it can no longer be dark inside the house.
If Jesus opens a breach in death then God’s kingdom comes down to this earth. This was the faith that the early Christian church had when they waited for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They were determined to wait until the flame of the Spirit, like the star over Bethlehem, should come down at this one place. And this did happen; it came.
From the place where a stream enters, it pours out into the entire world. Where love breaks in, all other forces yield. Jesus was victorious on the cross, not by a greater force, but by a greater power – the power of love – in comparison with which all force is nothing. No human force is able to achieve anything in comparison to the power of love.
The birth of Jesus is the in-breaking of the power of love.
Eberhard Arnold
Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, December 19, 2008
Advent meditation 20: Hope in the fullness of the Spirit
Hope in the Fullness of the Spirit
Here is my Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations.
Isaiah 42:1
When the prophets looked forward to the coming of God’s Chosen One, the Messiah, they did so in the hope that He would usher in a day when God’s Spirit would fall upon His people in power. They longed for the day when the Spirit would not be limited to the few, but available to all. When He came, the Messiah would not only be the One on whom the fullness of the Spirit rested, He would also be the bearer of the fullness of the Spirit to others. God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. This was to be one of the signs of the end of the age, the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. Those who had waited so long would know God’s presence by His Spirit in their lives. This was their hope.
In the synagogue, in Nazareth, Jesus applied Isaiah’s words to His ministry (Luke 4), declaring that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, and that He had been appointed to preach good news to the poor. Mary remembered the promise of the Spirit (Luke 1). Paul looked back at the resurrection and declared that it was by the Spirit’s power that Christ had been raised (Romans 1).
Yet Jesus was not only anointed, He was also the bearer of the Spirit. He would give “streams of living water.” And, when He had ascended to be with His Father, He would send the Holy Spirit upon the Church. At Pentecost the promised gift finally fell. In this sense, also, Jesus is the source of our hope. He fulfills prophecy. He is the Anointed One, but He is also the mediator of God’s presence by His Spirit today. God’s plan continues to unfold; His Kingdom advances; hope lives.
Prayer for the Day
Holy Spirit,
promised gift of the Risen Savior,
come into our hearts today.
Fill us with Your fullness.
Help us to love with a devotion
beyond our ability to give,
and to serve with the hands of Jesus.
In His name.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Here is my Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations.
Isaiah 42:1
When the prophets looked forward to the coming of God’s Chosen One, the Messiah, they did so in the hope that He would usher in a day when God’s Spirit would fall upon His people in power. They longed for the day when the Spirit would not be limited to the few, but available to all. When He came, the Messiah would not only be the One on whom the fullness of the Spirit rested, He would also be the bearer of the fullness of the Spirit to others. God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. This was to be one of the signs of the end of the age, the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. Those who had waited so long would know God’s presence by His Spirit in their lives. This was their hope.
In the synagogue, in Nazareth, Jesus applied Isaiah’s words to His ministry (Luke 4), declaring that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, and that He had been appointed to preach good news to the poor. Mary remembered the promise of the Spirit (Luke 1). Paul looked back at the resurrection and declared that it was by the Spirit’s power that Christ had been raised (Romans 1).
Yet Jesus was not only anointed, He was also the bearer of the Spirit. He would give “streams of living water.” And, when He had ascended to be with His Father, He would send the Holy Spirit upon the Church. At Pentecost the promised gift finally fell. In this sense, also, Jesus is the source of our hope. He fulfills prophecy. He is the Anointed One, but He is also the mediator of God’s presence by His Spirit today. God’s plan continues to unfold; His Kingdom advances; hope lives.
Prayer for the Day
Holy Spirit,
promised gift of the Risen Savior,
come into our hearts today.
Fill us with Your fullness.
Help us to love with a devotion
beyond our ability to give,
and to serve with the hands of Jesus.
In His name.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Advent meditation 19: Hope as an anchor
Hope as an Anchor
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.
Hebrews 6:19, 20
Today, no less than in the days of sail, an anchor is a necessity for any sea-going vessel. Without an anchor to secure it, a ship can easily be blown upon rocks or reefs, sandbanks or shoals. Especially when stationery, a ship needs an anchor to secure its position and to prevent it from drifting into danger. Properly secured on a rocky sea bed, an anchor keeps a ship safe.
Hope is an anchor. When secured in the rock-solid promises of God, hope keeps us safe. We may be battered by the winds of change, threatened by the reefs and shoals of destruction, but if we are “fastened to the Rock which cannot move” we are “grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.”
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews sees that hope in the priestly function of Jesus. The imagery is unfamiliar to us, but would have been obvious to the letter’s original recipients. When Jesus entered “behind the curtain” He entered, figuratively, into the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem. Only the High Priest could enter this room, and then only once a year. Jesus entered the Holy of Holies when He offered His life as an atonement for our sins. Unlike the High Priest, Jesus did not leave. Now, Jesus sits “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3) and remains there as the guardian of our souls. Those souls are anchored within the inner sanctuary, and Jesus stands guard over them. That’s why we can say that we have an anchor that will not fail.
Hope, therefore, for the Christian, is sure and certain because it depends, ultimately, not upon us but upon the finished work of Christ. Without Him, there could be no salvation; with Him, our eternal hope is secure.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Christ,
by Your passion and death You overcame
the power of death and death’s domain;
by Your rising again You proved that Yours is the power,
and the glory forever.
We trust in You.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.
Hebrews 6:19, 20
Today, no less than in the days of sail, an anchor is a necessity for any sea-going vessel. Without an anchor to secure it, a ship can easily be blown upon rocks or reefs, sandbanks or shoals. Especially when stationery, a ship needs an anchor to secure its position and to prevent it from drifting into danger. Properly secured on a rocky sea bed, an anchor keeps a ship safe.
Hope is an anchor. When secured in the rock-solid promises of God, hope keeps us safe. We may be battered by the winds of change, threatened by the reefs and shoals of destruction, but if we are “fastened to the Rock which cannot move” we are “grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.”
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews sees that hope in the priestly function of Jesus. The imagery is unfamiliar to us, but would have been obvious to the letter’s original recipients. When Jesus entered “behind the curtain” He entered, figuratively, into the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary of the Temple in Jerusalem. Only the High Priest could enter this room, and then only once a year. Jesus entered the Holy of Holies when He offered His life as an atonement for our sins. Unlike the High Priest, Jesus did not leave. Now, Jesus sits “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3) and remains there as the guardian of our souls. Those souls are anchored within the inner sanctuary, and Jesus stands guard over them. That’s why we can say that we have an anchor that will not fail.
Hope, therefore, for the Christian, is sure and certain because it depends, ultimately, not upon us but upon the finished work of Christ. Without Him, there could be no salvation; with Him, our eternal hope is secure.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Christ,
by Your passion and death You overcame
the power of death and death’s domain;
by Your rising again You proved that Yours is the power,
and the glory forever.
We trust in You.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Advent meditation 18: Hope unashamed
Hope Unashamed
Uphold me according to Thy Word, that I may live; and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
Psalm 119:116
Around the water cooler, when talk turns to the weekend, it can be hard to hide. Suzie went water skiing with her friends; Mike went to see his parents; Becky stayed home and worked in the yard. What did you do? The truth is that on Saturday you took some members of the youth group to a Christian concert, and on Sunday you were in worship, but can you say that? How do you respond? “Oh, I did the usual.” Has it come to this, that in order to maintain a relationship with your co-workers you must be economical with the truth when it comes to speaking of Christ? What matters most? Be careful or, one day, God may be too ashamed to acknowledge you!
When we are ashamed of something it is usually because we feel guilty. We are embarrassed to admit that we have been involved. We want to say that we have moved on from such things, that they no longer have any control over us. That may be how things once were, but now we are different. Is that really how we want to explain away our relationship with Christ? Would we not prefer to say, with Paul, that we are “not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
We need never be ashamed of the hope that is in us – though we may be ashamed of living lives inconsistent with the Gospel. The way to avoid this situation is to ask God to uphold you by His Word. When the Word of God dwells in you richly, permeating every aspect of your character, then the conversations around the water cooler will be markedly different.
Prayer for the Day
Lord God,
teach me to live gently yet openly with others,
modeling both humility and integrity;
then I will never have occasion to deny what I believe,
and I will never be ashamed of my hope.
Through Christ my Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Uphold me according to Thy Word, that I may live; and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
Psalm 119:116
Around the water cooler, when talk turns to the weekend, it can be hard to hide. Suzie went water skiing with her friends; Mike went to see his parents; Becky stayed home and worked in the yard. What did you do? The truth is that on Saturday you took some members of the youth group to a Christian concert, and on Sunday you were in worship, but can you say that? How do you respond? “Oh, I did the usual.” Has it come to this, that in order to maintain a relationship with your co-workers you must be economical with the truth when it comes to speaking of Christ? What matters most? Be careful or, one day, God may be too ashamed to acknowledge you!
When we are ashamed of something it is usually because we feel guilty. We are embarrassed to admit that we have been involved. We want to say that we have moved on from such things, that they no longer have any control over us. That may be how things once were, but now we are different. Is that really how we want to explain away our relationship with Christ? Would we not prefer to say, with Paul, that we are “not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
We need never be ashamed of the hope that is in us – though we may be ashamed of living lives inconsistent with the Gospel. The way to avoid this situation is to ask God to uphold you by His Word. When the Word of God dwells in you richly, permeating every aspect of your character, then the conversations around the water cooler will be markedly different.
Prayer for the Day
Lord God,
teach me to live gently yet openly with others,
modeling both humility and integrity;
then I will never have occasion to deny what I believe,
and I will never be ashamed of my hope.
Through Christ my Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Advent meditation 17: Hope in God's Word
Hope in God’s Word
My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your Word.
Psalm 119:81
One of the things you learn as a child, which can come as quite a shock to the system, is that Daddy doesn’t always keep his word. Daddy may have promised to take you to the zoo on Saturday, but something came up and he couldn’t make it. You complain, but it does you no good. The priorities of children are not always the priorities of their parents. Eventually, you discover that, for many people, “promises and pie crusts are made to be broken.” Few and far between are those whose word is their bond. Friendships and feelings, rules and relationships are cast aside when our priorities change. What I want usually trumps what I promised.
Is God like that? The great sadness, for some people, is the abandonment of child-like faith that begins in adolescence and reaches full-force in adulthood. When we fashion God in our own image we end up projecting our failures onto Him. Since we break our promises, we reason, so must He. And a god who breaks his word is not a god who deserves to be worshiped. A fickle deity promises the earth, then becomes distracted. His priorities are not ours. Like Daddy and the zoo, this god leaves us high and dry. How can we place our hope in such a god?
The truth is, we cannot. How fortunate, then, that the God of the Bible is not the god we have created. We may be made in His image, but the image is defaced by sin. We are not like Him; He is not like us! We may depend upon God because His Word cannot be broken. We need not be afraid that He will forget us, or cease to love us. Our hope is in His Word. And, in Christ, that Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Prayer for the Day
Lord God,
constant in Your love for us,
unchanged and unchanging,
we rest content in the knowledge that Your Word
shall not be moved.
Give us assurance of salvation,
and the gift of Your peace.
For Jesus’ sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your Word.
Psalm 119:81
One of the things you learn as a child, which can come as quite a shock to the system, is that Daddy doesn’t always keep his word. Daddy may have promised to take you to the zoo on Saturday, but something came up and he couldn’t make it. You complain, but it does you no good. The priorities of children are not always the priorities of their parents. Eventually, you discover that, for many people, “promises and pie crusts are made to be broken.” Few and far between are those whose word is their bond. Friendships and feelings, rules and relationships are cast aside when our priorities change. What I want usually trumps what I promised.
Is God like that? The great sadness, for some people, is the abandonment of child-like faith that begins in adolescence and reaches full-force in adulthood. When we fashion God in our own image we end up projecting our failures onto Him. Since we break our promises, we reason, so must He. And a god who breaks his word is not a god who deserves to be worshiped. A fickle deity promises the earth, then becomes distracted. His priorities are not ours. Like Daddy and the zoo, this god leaves us high and dry. How can we place our hope in such a god?
The truth is, we cannot. How fortunate, then, that the God of the Bible is not the god we have created. We may be made in His image, but the image is defaced by sin. We are not like Him; He is not like us! We may depend upon God because His Word cannot be broken. We need not be afraid that He will forget us, or cease to love us. Our hope is in His Word. And, in Christ, that Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Prayer for the Day
Lord God,
constant in Your love for us,
unchanged and unchanging,
we rest content in the knowledge that Your Word
shall not be moved.
Give us assurance of salvation,
and the gift of Your peace.
For Jesus’ sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Advent meditation 16: Hope for a prophet
Hope for a Prophet
See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
Malachi 4:5
Have you ever set your heart on something, only to discover, much later, that you were hoping for the wrong thing? At the time, you longed for a particular outcome; you were disappointed when it didn’t happen, but not as disappointed as you would have been, later, if your wishes had come true.
There were some who thought that, in Jesus of Nazareth, God was fulfilling the promise made through the last prophet, Malachi. That promise, to which faithful Jews held through exile, war, and the repeated occupation of their homeland, was that God would send Elijah, the prophet. In looking for Elijah they were hoping for vindication from God, who would act in fulfillment of their hopes.
At first some, even among the disciples, believed that Jesus was the great prophet for whom the nation had been waiting (Matthew 21:11). As His popularity grew, some of those who witnessed Jesus’ miracles or listened to Him speak wondered whether He might not be the one (Mark 8:27-28). From Jesus, they heard the themes of the end of the age, just as Malachi had prophesied. Through Him, God seemed to speak, powerfully and personally. Yet, He was not the prophet.
The Old Testament hope was not really for one person, but for two. A prophet would return in “the spirit and power of Elijah,” (Luke 1:17) but this man would be a herald. He would prepare the way for the coming of God’s Anointed One, the Messiah. When the prophet came his name was not Jesus, but John: John the Baptist. For centuries the people of Israel had hoped for a prophet who would break the silence and usher in the Kingdom of God. John fulfilled that hope; but the greater hope would be fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ. Truly, the hopes and fears of all the years were met in Him.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Jesus,
forgive us, when we have been too ready
to force You into a mold of our own making,
when we have failed to listen.
Teach us never to make do with lesser dreams,
never to stop discovering more and more about You.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.
Malachi 4:5
Have you ever set your heart on something, only to discover, much later, that you were hoping for the wrong thing? At the time, you longed for a particular outcome; you were disappointed when it didn’t happen, but not as disappointed as you would have been, later, if your wishes had come true.
There were some who thought that, in Jesus of Nazareth, God was fulfilling the promise made through the last prophet, Malachi. That promise, to which faithful Jews held through exile, war, and the repeated occupation of their homeland, was that God would send Elijah, the prophet. In looking for Elijah they were hoping for vindication from God, who would act in fulfillment of their hopes.
At first some, even among the disciples, believed that Jesus was the great prophet for whom the nation had been waiting (Matthew 21:11). As His popularity grew, some of those who witnessed Jesus’ miracles or listened to Him speak wondered whether He might not be the one (Mark 8:27-28). From Jesus, they heard the themes of the end of the age, just as Malachi had prophesied. Through Him, God seemed to speak, powerfully and personally. Yet, He was not the prophet.
The Old Testament hope was not really for one person, but for two. A prophet would return in “the spirit and power of Elijah,” (Luke 1:17) but this man would be a herald. He would prepare the way for the coming of God’s Anointed One, the Messiah. When the prophet came his name was not Jesus, but John: John the Baptist. For centuries the people of Israel had hoped for a prophet who would break the silence and usher in the Kingdom of God. John fulfilled that hope; but the greater hope would be fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ. Truly, the hopes and fears of all the years were met in Him.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Jesus,
forgive us, when we have been too ready
to force You into a mold of our own making,
when we have failed to listen.
Teach us never to make do with lesser dreams,
never to stop discovering more and more about You.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Advent meditation 15: Hope in nothing else
Hope in Nothing Else
Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose help is in the Lord his God.
Psalm 146:5
People put their hope in the strangest things. One man had an invention, “Not quite finished” that was going to make him a million. A woman played the lottery every day, spending a small fortune, because “That’s going to be my retirement.” From the outside looking in, some of these schemes smell of desperation, but from the inside they apparently seem reasonable.
Does God shake His head (so to speak) in amazement at some of the things for which we hope? From our perspective, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to hope that the stock exchange will work for us, or that the government which our taxes support will protect us. We invest our hope in people, forgetting that people fail, and that all people die. Institutions are not permanent. Banks may look rock solid, but their assets are not infinite. Doctors may have great reputations, but the death rate is still 100%, even among doctors! Armies may seem immense and powerful, but there’s usually somebody with a bigger gun. Ultimately, there is no security – without God.
God’s reserves are without equal, in fact they are limitless. His power exceeds that of any army. His healing extends beyond the grave. We are not foolish when we place our hope in Him. The world may prefer the security of a full wallet or of a loaded gun. We know that such things cannot last. We prefer to place our hope where rust cannot decay and moths cannot destroy. In the end, in whom should we hope, but God? We are blessed, beyond anything the earth can offer, when we have our treasure in heaven. The God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, and of Jesus, provides the only sure foundation for our hope.
Prayer for the day
Almighty God,
forever the same,
I praise You for Your goodness to Your people
throughout the generations.
As You have been faithful in the past,
so I believe You will be faithful for all time.
Forever I will praise You.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob, whose help is in the Lord his God.
Psalm 146:5
People put their hope in the strangest things. One man had an invention, “Not quite finished” that was going to make him a million. A woman played the lottery every day, spending a small fortune, because “That’s going to be my retirement.” From the outside looking in, some of these schemes smell of desperation, but from the inside they apparently seem reasonable.
Does God shake His head (so to speak) in amazement at some of the things for which we hope? From our perspective, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to hope that the stock exchange will work for us, or that the government which our taxes support will protect us. We invest our hope in people, forgetting that people fail, and that all people die. Institutions are not permanent. Banks may look rock solid, but their assets are not infinite. Doctors may have great reputations, but the death rate is still 100%, even among doctors! Armies may seem immense and powerful, but there’s usually somebody with a bigger gun. Ultimately, there is no security – without God.
God’s reserves are without equal, in fact they are limitless. His power exceeds that of any army. His healing extends beyond the grave. We are not foolish when we place our hope in Him. The world may prefer the security of a full wallet or of a loaded gun. We know that such things cannot last. We prefer to place our hope where rust cannot decay and moths cannot destroy. In the end, in whom should we hope, but God? We are blessed, beyond anything the earth can offer, when we have our treasure in heaven. The God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, and of Jesus, provides the only sure foundation for our hope.
Prayer for the day
Almighty God,
forever the same,
I praise You for Your goodness to Your people
throughout the generations.
As You have been faithful in the past,
so I believe You will be faithful for all time.
Forever I will praise You.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Advent meditation 14: Joyful hope
Joyful Hope
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
One day, the Savior who came as a child shall return as a king. In this, too, we hope: that God will bring history to its consummation. Those who have rejected Christ will be judged; those who have accepted Him will reign with Him forever. Until that day, we must be joyful, patient, and faithful.
Hope is the fuel that maintains our joy, despite whatever afflictions may come our way. As, by prayer, we open the windows of heaven, so we are encouraged as we glimpse the glory in which, one day, we shall share. Without hope our joy would soon evaporate. With hope, we can be joyful in all things.
Of course, “joy” does not mean a fixed, inane grin, or the attitude of a permanent pollyanna. Joy is the deep assurance that God’s will shall prevail, and that it is good. Joy should break out on our faces, but when the trials we bear are too great, the smile of faith remains hidden in our heart. When hope’s settled certainty keeps us focused on God’s promised new world, then joy can never be far away.
Romans 12:12 is one of the earliest texts in the New Testament to mention affliction with overtones of persecution. The early Church was to suffer greatly at the hands of those who wished to see it destroyed, yet it maintained its joyful hope. In our day, Christians still suffer for the cause of Christ in many lands. That we do not should make us grateful for the liberties we enjoy. It should send us to our knees in faithful intercession for those who suffer. It should also make us agents of joyful hope, bearing witness to the truth in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer for the Day
Living God,
deepen our love for our suffering brothers and sisters
around the world.
Make us steadfast in our support.
May they, and we, be found joyful in hope
when our Savior comes again.
We pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12
One day, the Savior who came as a child shall return as a king. In this, too, we hope: that God will bring history to its consummation. Those who have rejected Christ will be judged; those who have accepted Him will reign with Him forever. Until that day, we must be joyful, patient, and faithful.
Hope is the fuel that maintains our joy, despite whatever afflictions may come our way. As, by prayer, we open the windows of heaven, so we are encouraged as we glimpse the glory in which, one day, we shall share. Without hope our joy would soon evaporate. With hope, we can be joyful in all things.
Of course, “joy” does not mean a fixed, inane grin, or the attitude of a permanent pollyanna. Joy is the deep assurance that God’s will shall prevail, and that it is good. Joy should break out on our faces, but when the trials we bear are too great, the smile of faith remains hidden in our heart. When hope’s settled certainty keeps us focused on God’s promised new world, then joy can never be far away.
Romans 12:12 is one of the earliest texts in the New Testament to mention affliction with overtones of persecution. The early Church was to suffer greatly at the hands of those who wished to see it destroyed, yet it maintained its joyful hope. In our day, Christians still suffer for the cause of Christ in many lands. That we do not should make us grateful for the liberties we enjoy. It should send us to our knees in faithful intercession for those who suffer. It should also make us agents of joyful hope, bearing witness to the truth in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer for the Day
Living God,
deepen our love for our suffering brothers and sisters
around the world.
Make us steadfast in our support.
May they, and we, be found joyful in hope
when our Savior comes again.
We pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Advent meditation 13: Hope for eternity
Hope for Eternity
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous (has) hope in his death.
Proverbs 14:32
The latest fad in some quarters, particularly among the anti-establishment brigade, is something called “annihilationalism.” Basically, it is the belief that there is nothing after death. Some call it “angry annihilationalism.” We can get angry about the nature of the universe; we can rage, like Dylan Thomas, against the waning of the light; we can rant about anarchy and complain about the corruption of politics; but in the end we all turn back to dust. Of course this is not a new belief. Repackaged, in slightly different forms, it has been around for thousands of years. At its best it is a call to live life to the fullest while you have it; at its worst it is an invitation to do whatever you like, because there are no consequences beyond the grave.
Christians have, on occasion, gone to the other extreme. Visions of heaven (and hell) have been graphic. Sermons have come close to being guided tours to the celestial city (or the other place). We have pretended that we know everything there is to know about the life that is to come. We do not know everything. What we do know is, that if we place our hands , in faith, into the hands of Jesus Christ, then we shall spend an eternity with Him. Repentance and faith are the human responses to the grace of God that enable us to claim the promise of eternal life. So, Christians cannot be annihilationists, angry or otherwise. Instead, we are people of hope.
Those who proclaim, loudly, that we creatures of the dust, and that there is nothing beyond death, are expressing their beliefs. They have faith in their opinions. Fair enough. We also have faith, but ours is fixed on Jesus – who came among us, died for us, and rose again for us. He is the firstfruit of the dead, and the reason for our hope.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Jesus,
we know that we are mortal,
and that our days are numbered here on earth.
Yet we also believe that You have called us
to live with You forever.
Help us to place all of our trust in You.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous (has) hope in his death.
Proverbs 14:32
The latest fad in some quarters, particularly among the anti-establishment brigade, is something called “annihilationalism.” Basically, it is the belief that there is nothing after death. Some call it “angry annihilationalism.” We can get angry about the nature of the universe; we can rage, like Dylan Thomas, against the waning of the light; we can rant about anarchy and complain about the corruption of politics; but in the end we all turn back to dust. Of course this is not a new belief. Repackaged, in slightly different forms, it has been around for thousands of years. At its best it is a call to live life to the fullest while you have it; at its worst it is an invitation to do whatever you like, because there are no consequences beyond the grave.
Christians have, on occasion, gone to the other extreme. Visions of heaven (and hell) have been graphic. Sermons have come close to being guided tours to the celestial city (or the other place). We have pretended that we know everything there is to know about the life that is to come. We do not know everything. What we do know is, that if we place our hands , in faith, into the hands of Jesus Christ, then we shall spend an eternity with Him. Repentance and faith are the human responses to the grace of God that enable us to claim the promise of eternal life. So, Christians cannot be annihilationists, angry or otherwise. Instead, we are people of hope.
Those who proclaim, loudly, that we creatures of the dust, and that there is nothing beyond death, are expressing their beliefs. They have faith in their opinions. Fair enough. We also have faith, but ours is fixed on Jesus – who came among us, died for us, and rose again for us. He is the firstfruit of the dead, and the reason for our hope.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Jesus,
we know that we are mortal,
and that our days are numbered here on earth.
Yet we also believe that You have called us
to live with You forever.
Help us to place all of our trust in You.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Advent meditation 12: Hope continually
Hope Continually
But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.
Psalm 71:14
Young Christians are sometimes afraid that they will fall out of love with Jesus. They fear that their faith has begun in a flurry of emotionalism, and that it will not last. “Friends” tell them it will not. Many Christians worry that they will wake up one morning and it will be all over, that the beauty and wonder of their walk with Christ will fade, and that they will drop away.
This kind of fear is not new. The author of Psalm 71 is an old man, now “old and greyheaded” who asks God not to forsake him. He remembers the joy of serving God since youth, and he promises to keep on hoping, and to praise God more and more. His words remind us that there is a link between hope and praise. When we neglect worship, at home or in fellowship with others, then we risk losing our hope. It’s a different matter when we can’t get to worship for some good reason, but when we just get out of the habit, then our inaction undermines our hope.
Like coals on a fire, hope must be stirred, regularly. If we never “stir up the flames” of our relationship with God through praise and prayer, and through the study of His Word, then we shouldn’t be surprised when the fire burns low. God’s promises do not change, He remains the object of our hope, but we change. And a hope that is not invoked soon ceases to matter. Hope is both a noun and a verb. We have hope because of the character and promises of God, revealed in Christ. But we must also exercise hope, continually. If we do not exercise it, hope withers. The way to keep hope alive is to use it, and to “praise Him more and more.”
Prayer for the Day
Eternal God,
when our praise is muted and Your name is seldom on our lips,
love grows cold and hope is not in us,
so, come by Your Holy Spirit.
Set our hearts on fire for You.
We ask it in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more.
Psalm 71:14
Young Christians are sometimes afraid that they will fall out of love with Jesus. They fear that their faith has begun in a flurry of emotionalism, and that it will not last. “Friends” tell them it will not. Many Christians worry that they will wake up one morning and it will be all over, that the beauty and wonder of their walk with Christ will fade, and that they will drop away.
This kind of fear is not new. The author of Psalm 71 is an old man, now “old and greyheaded” who asks God not to forsake him. He remembers the joy of serving God since youth, and he promises to keep on hoping, and to praise God more and more. His words remind us that there is a link between hope and praise. When we neglect worship, at home or in fellowship with others, then we risk losing our hope. It’s a different matter when we can’t get to worship for some good reason, but when we just get out of the habit, then our inaction undermines our hope.
Like coals on a fire, hope must be stirred, regularly. If we never “stir up the flames” of our relationship with God through praise and prayer, and through the study of His Word, then we shouldn’t be surprised when the fire burns low. God’s promises do not change, He remains the object of our hope, but we change. And a hope that is not invoked soon ceases to matter. Hope is both a noun and a verb. We have hope because of the character and promises of God, revealed in Christ. But we must also exercise hope, continually. If we do not exercise it, hope withers. The way to keep hope alive is to use it, and to “praise Him more and more.”
Prayer for the Day
Eternal God,
when our praise is muted and Your name is seldom on our lips,
love grows cold and hope is not in us,
so, come by Your Holy Spirit.
Set our hearts on fire for You.
We ask it in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Advent meditation 11: Faithful hope
Faithful Hope
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1, 2
Joseph Conrad once commented, in a letter to Bertrand Russell, that he saw nothing in the human condition that suggested we would ever get any better. He felt a terrible sense of fatality. He was without hope. We may wince at Conrad’s pessimism, but we should not be surprised by it. He hit upon an important truth: without God there is no hope.
On the other hand, when God gives us the gift of faith, by which we can grasp the audacity of His love in sending His only Son, then we can know peace, both now and forever. In love, God initiated the rescue plan that saw Christ take the punishment of sin upon Himself. As a result, reconciled by His sacrifice and justified through faith, we may enter into a new relationship with the God who loves us so very much. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
We should take this to mean that, one day, we shall see God in His glory. When the earth has passed away, and when we stand in judgment before the One who made us, in as much as we claim the merits of Christ then we shall be safe, and the glory that is God shall be reflected in us.
Conrad reminds us that hope that is placed in anything other than God is bound to fail. Without God, we are condemned to continue to act according to our flawed natures, to maim and cheat and kill until no-one remains. Where is hope if our only hope is in human nature? That’s why we need God. Faith is the means by which we apprehend His peace; faith enables us to rejoice in hope of the glory that is to come. Faith says to God, “I trust You.” Without faith, we are a people without hope.
Prayer for the Day
Father God,
thank You for Your amazing gift in Jesus.
He is the best gift we could ever receive.
His sacrifice is the source of our peace.
May we know the joy that looks forward in hope.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1, 2
Joseph Conrad once commented, in a letter to Bertrand Russell, that he saw nothing in the human condition that suggested we would ever get any better. He felt a terrible sense of fatality. He was without hope. We may wince at Conrad’s pessimism, but we should not be surprised by it. He hit upon an important truth: without God there is no hope.
On the other hand, when God gives us the gift of faith, by which we can grasp the audacity of His love in sending His only Son, then we can know peace, both now and forever. In love, God initiated the rescue plan that saw Christ take the punishment of sin upon Himself. As a result, reconciled by His sacrifice and justified through faith, we may enter into a new relationship with the God who loves us so very much. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
We should take this to mean that, one day, we shall see God in His glory. When the earth has passed away, and when we stand in judgment before the One who made us, in as much as we claim the merits of Christ then we shall be safe, and the glory that is God shall be reflected in us.
Conrad reminds us that hope that is placed in anything other than God is bound to fail. Without God, we are condemned to continue to act according to our flawed natures, to maim and cheat and kill until no-one remains. Where is hope if our only hope is in human nature? That’s why we need God. Faith is the means by which we apprehend His peace; faith enables us to rejoice in hope of the glory that is to come. Faith says to God, “I trust You.” Without faith, we are a people without hope.
Prayer for the Day
Father God,
thank You for Your amazing gift in Jesus.
He is the best gift we could ever receive.
His sacrifice is the source of our peace.
May we know the joy that looks forward in hope.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Advent meditation 10: Encouraging hope
Encouraging Hope
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4
If God is not ultimately in charge of our destinies, then we might as well give up now! If it is not true that, despite the arrogance and downright evil that we see displayed, “God is working His purposes out as year succeeds to year,” then we have no reason to hope. But we do have reason to hope. God is sovereign. This is His world. It moves to the beat of His drum.
Humanist writers have made fun of this belief for years. Voltaire, in Candide, wrote mockingly of those who believe that this is the best of all possible worlds. When the evidence of our eyes is so opposed to belief in a benevolent God, why do we continue with what atheists call “the great deception”? The answer lies in the prevalence of sin in our world. Of course this is not the best of all possible worlds, but God did not intend that it should be as it is. Human sin has soiled the perfection God created. But when Christ returns everything will change; this world shall not remain a vale of tears.
We must continue to affirm that God’s purposes will be fulfilled, despite the evil men do. Paul reminds us, in Romans 15, that hope requires endurance – we must persevere, never give up – but it also requires the encouragement that comes from the Bible. How does the Bible encourage us? By recounting the story of salvation history the Bible demonstrates that God has a plan. History has a purpose. Though we may not see that purpose accomplished in our time, one day it shall be. God’s purposes are rooted in His character. He is relentless in His pursuit of a new heaven and a new earth where all who trust in Him shall sit down together in peace. He has been faithful in the past. He will be faithful in the future. Therefore, we have hope.
Prayer for the Day
Almighty God,
Your ways are not our ways,
Your thoughts are not our thoughts,
Your wisdom is unsearchable, yet Your love never ends.
Lead us, though it be through tears,
to the future You have prepared for us,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4
If God is not ultimately in charge of our destinies, then we might as well give up now! If it is not true that, despite the arrogance and downright evil that we see displayed, “God is working His purposes out as year succeeds to year,” then we have no reason to hope. But we do have reason to hope. God is sovereign. This is His world. It moves to the beat of His drum.
Humanist writers have made fun of this belief for years. Voltaire, in Candide, wrote mockingly of those who believe that this is the best of all possible worlds. When the evidence of our eyes is so opposed to belief in a benevolent God, why do we continue with what atheists call “the great deception”? The answer lies in the prevalence of sin in our world. Of course this is not the best of all possible worlds, but God did not intend that it should be as it is. Human sin has soiled the perfection God created. But when Christ returns everything will change; this world shall not remain a vale of tears.
We must continue to affirm that God’s purposes will be fulfilled, despite the evil men do. Paul reminds us, in Romans 15, that hope requires endurance – we must persevere, never give up – but it also requires the encouragement that comes from the Bible. How does the Bible encourage us? By recounting the story of salvation history the Bible demonstrates that God has a plan. History has a purpose. Though we may not see that purpose accomplished in our time, one day it shall be. God’s purposes are rooted in His character. He is relentless in His pursuit of a new heaven and a new earth where all who trust in Him shall sit down together in peace. He has been faithful in the past. He will be faithful in the future. Therefore, we have hope.
Prayer for the Day
Almighty God,
Your ways are not our ways,
Your thoughts are not our thoughts,
Your wisdom is unsearchable, yet Your love never ends.
Lead us, though it be through tears,
to the future You have prepared for us,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Advent meditation 9: Hope of Christ's appearing
Hope of Christ’s Appearing
[We are to live] self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:12,13
Advent is not just about looking back to the first coming of Christ. It’s also about looking forward to His coming again. So, when we sing, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” we need to remember that our words not only reflect the longing of faithful Jews for the coming of God’s Messiah, they also point to our future hope.
There is another theme, lurking beneath the surface of our Advent celebration. That theme is judgment. When He came as a baby, in Bethlehem, the world judged itself by its response. But when He comes again He shall judge the earth with justice. His “glorious appearing” will be a source of great joy for those who know themselves to be saved by grace; but for those have scorned and rejected His ways, the light of Christ’s presence will come, not as a relief but as a threat. This time, He will not appear as a vulnerable baby, cradled in a manger. He will come as “our great God and Savior.” He will demand an accounting, as is His right as the Maker of heaven and earth. The sword of justice will be in His hand. No-one will be able to escape from the Day of His reckoning.
Yet, for those who believe, who have lived their lives with an eye to His coming, this is a blessed hope. It is a source of blessing today and tomorrow. On that Day, those who have trusted in the Savior shall be vindicated, death shall be no more, neither shall there be any mourning or crying or pain, for the former things will have passed away. This is our hope.
Prayer for the Day
Advent God,
turn our thoughts from preoccupation
with the gaudy symbols of the season,
to the celebration of Emmanuel, God with us.
We praise You for the gift of Jesus, Your Son,
and we look forward in hope to His coming again.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
[We are to live] self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:12,13
Advent is not just about looking back to the first coming of Christ. It’s also about looking forward to His coming again. So, when we sing, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” we need to remember that our words not only reflect the longing of faithful Jews for the coming of God’s Messiah, they also point to our future hope.
There is another theme, lurking beneath the surface of our Advent celebration. That theme is judgment. When He came as a baby, in Bethlehem, the world judged itself by its response. But when He comes again He shall judge the earth with justice. His “glorious appearing” will be a source of great joy for those who know themselves to be saved by grace; but for those have scorned and rejected His ways, the light of Christ’s presence will come, not as a relief but as a threat. This time, He will not appear as a vulnerable baby, cradled in a manger. He will come as “our great God and Savior.” He will demand an accounting, as is His right as the Maker of heaven and earth. The sword of justice will be in His hand. No-one will be able to escape from the Day of His reckoning.
Yet, for those who believe, who have lived their lives with an eye to His coming, this is a blessed hope. It is a source of blessing today and tomorrow. On that Day, those who have trusted in the Savior shall be vindicated, death shall be no more, neither shall there be any mourning or crying or pain, for the former things will have passed away. This is our hope.
Prayer for the Day
Advent God,
turn our thoughts from preoccupation
with the gaudy symbols of the season,
to the celebration of Emmanuel, God with us.
We praise You for the gift of Jesus, Your Son,
and we look forward in hope to His coming again.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Advent meditation 8: Hope of righteousness
Hope of Righteousness
But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:5
Have you ever looked forward to receiving something, only to discover that it was already yours? In a way, an inheritance is like this. The moment a will is signed, and the intention of the owner made clear, the inheritance is sure, providing that another will is never made! A better example might be a characteristic that you have admired in another person, never realizing that the same trait was developing in your life. And so you ask God to make you patient, not understanding that this is the very thing that others see in you.
Righteousness, as the condition for which we hope, falls into this category. To be righteous is to be in a right relationship with God. It is the result of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Unlike sanctification, the process of holiness, which takes a lifetime, righteousness happens only once. Actually, it would be better to say that it happened once – on Calvary. On the cross our sins were laid upon our Savior; the Innocent One was pronounced guilty and the guilty ones were declared innocent. All this is the gift of Christ, and it is ours by grace, the unmerited love of God.
So why do we hope for righteousness? Because we do not appropriate God’s gift all at once. We have been justified by grace, through faith; but we don’t get our heads around this completely because, secretly, we still think there is something we need to do in order to gain peace with God. Paul looks forward to the Day of Christ’s coming when we shall not only be completely justified, declared righteous by God, but we shall know it, and be at peace.
Prayer of the Day
Merciful God,
teach us to open the gift of the righteousness of Christ,
which You have placed into our hands.
Help us to clothe ourselves with His goodness,
His purity, and His grace.
So may we become what we hope for –
children of the Covenant
judged acceptable through His blood.
For His name’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:5
Have you ever looked forward to receiving something, only to discover that it was already yours? In a way, an inheritance is like this. The moment a will is signed, and the intention of the owner made clear, the inheritance is sure, providing that another will is never made! A better example might be a characteristic that you have admired in another person, never realizing that the same trait was developing in your life. And so you ask God to make you patient, not understanding that this is the very thing that others see in you.
Righteousness, as the condition for which we hope, falls into this category. To be righteous is to be in a right relationship with God. It is the result of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Unlike sanctification, the process of holiness, which takes a lifetime, righteousness happens only once. Actually, it would be better to say that it happened once – on Calvary. On the cross our sins were laid upon our Savior; the Innocent One was pronounced guilty and the guilty ones were declared innocent. All this is the gift of Christ, and it is ours by grace, the unmerited love of God.
So why do we hope for righteousness? Because we do not appropriate God’s gift all at once. We have been justified by grace, through faith; but we don’t get our heads around this completely because, secretly, we still think there is something we need to do in order to gain peace with God. Paul looks forward to the Day of Christ’s coming when we shall not only be completely justified, declared righteous by God, but we shall know it, and be at peace.
Prayer of the Day
Merciful God,
teach us to open the gift of the righteousness of Christ,
which You have placed into our hands.
Help us to clothe ourselves with His goodness,
His purity, and His grace.
So may we become what we hope for –
children of the Covenant
judged acceptable through His blood.
For His name’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Advent meditation 7: Hope as a defense
Hope as a Defense
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
After the attack, which seriously wounded his only real friend, Michael calmly announced that he had had no say in the matter. There had been a voice inside his head, telling him to take and use the knife. He had heard it repeatedly. He felt that he could not refuse. He didn’t do it – it was the voice in his head...
Although we are, sometimes, rightly skeptical about those who have a convenient voice to blame, we must still acknowledge that, on occasions, we all pay too much attention to the ideas that others put in our heads. Don’t believe me? Try this. Spend time with a group that behaves in a particular manner, and you will be more likely to fall into their way of speaking and thinking. Recently, an Englishman was appointed to an important job in the Netherlands. When he was interviewed on television, just a few months later, he had developed a pronounced Dutch accent! There are other ways in which the opinions of others can get inside our heads. It’s not just our accents that can change. We can, for example, become more cynical, less thoughtful, less careful of our language or our morals.
That’s why Scripture says that we must wear hope as a helmet. We are to put on faith and love as a breastplate: faith in God, which protects us inwardly, and love for others which protects us outwardly. The third element in our defense is the hope of salvation – the settled confidence that God has saved us both now and forever. Hope’s function is to protect our minds. When our hope is fixed upon God, the passing fancies and the evil voices of our day can never hold us.
Prayer for the Day
Lord God,
protect us by Your Word
from the temptations that assail us.
May our hope be secure and sincere,
since it depends upon Your Word, which will never fail.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
After the attack, which seriously wounded his only real friend, Michael calmly announced that he had had no say in the matter. There had been a voice inside his head, telling him to take and use the knife. He had heard it repeatedly. He felt that he could not refuse. He didn’t do it – it was the voice in his head...
Although we are, sometimes, rightly skeptical about those who have a convenient voice to blame, we must still acknowledge that, on occasions, we all pay too much attention to the ideas that others put in our heads. Don’t believe me? Try this. Spend time with a group that behaves in a particular manner, and you will be more likely to fall into their way of speaking and thinking. Recently, an Englishman was appointed to an important job in the Netherlands. When he was interviewed on television, just a few months later, he had developed a pronounced Dutch accent! There are other ways in which the opinions of others can get inside our heads. It’s not just our accents that can change. We can, for example, become more cynical, less thoughtful, less careful of our language or our morals.
That’s why Scripture says that we must wear hope as a helmet. We are to put on faith and love as a breastplate: faith in God, which protects us inwardly, and love for others which protects us outwardly. The third element in our defense is the hope of salvation – the settled confidence that God has saved us both now and forever. Hope’s function is to protect our minds. When our hope is fixed upon God, the passing fancies and the evil voices of our day can never hold us.
Prayer for the Day
Lord God,
protect us by Your Word
from the temptations that assail us.
May our hope be secure and sincere,
since it depends upon Your Word, which will never fail.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Advent meditation 6: Hope enables obedience
Hope Enables Obedience
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Romans 4:18
Have you ever believed anything against all hope? Perhaps your team was down by a large margin and, realistically, there was little hope of a comeback. Despite the odds, you still hoped that something would happen. You were “hoping against all hope.”
Abraham, on a human level, must have thought it unlikely that he would father a nation, or inherit a land that God would give him. Yet, he hoped. And that hope was far more significant than a sports fan’s wishful thinking. Abraham knew that, humanly speaking, he didn’t have a hope. He was too old, and too far from the land of promise. There were too many obstacles along the way. Nevertheless, Abraham chose to hope, because He knew the One in whom to place His trust.
In Romans 4:18, Paul quotes Genesis 15:5 – “so shall your offspring be.” This is no accident. Earlier in the same chapter, Paul uses Genesis 15:6 to explain what it means to be justified by faith. The point is clear. The promise in which Abraham hoped would be fulfilled, not by human agency, but by the hand of God.
It really is all about God. Abraham learned to trust in the God who made promises to him. Despite the circumstances of his life, Abraham believed. Can you do the same? It may be that you are trusting God for something that, deep down, is simply impossible. But all things are possible with God. If your request is in line with His good and perfect will, and if the timing agrees with His providential purposes, then you may hope against hope, and it shall be done.
Prayer for the Day
Father God,
thank You for the promises of Your Word,
which cannot fail.
Help us to trust them for our own lives,
and help us to trust You with our lives.
In the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Romans 4:18
Have you ever believed anything against all hope? Perhaps your team was down by a large margin and, realistically, there was little hope of a comeback. Despite the odds, you still hoped that something would happen. You were “hoping against all hope.”
Abraham, on a human level, must have thought it unlikely that he would father a nation, or inherit a land that God would give him. Yet, he hoped. And that hope was far more significant than a sports fan’s wishful thinking. Abraham knew that, humanly speaking, he didn’t have a hope. He was too old, and too far from the land of promise. There were too many obstacles along the way. Nevertheless, Abraham chose to hope, because He knew the One in whom to place His trust.
In Romans 4:18, Paul quotes Genesis 15:5 – “so shall your offspring be.” This is no accident. Earlier in the same chapter, Paul uses Genesis 15:6 to explain what it means to be justified by faith. The point is clear. The promise in which Abraham hoped would be fulfilled, not by human agency, but by the hand of God.
It really is all about God. Abraham learned to trust in the God who made promises to him. Despite the circumstances of his life, Abraham believed. Can you do the same? It may be that you are trusting God for something that, deep down, is simply impossible. But all things are possible with God. If your request is in line with His good and perfect will, and if the timing agrees with His providential purposes, then you may hope against hope, and it shall be done.
Prayer for the Day
Father God,
thank You for the promises of Your Word,
which cannot fail.
Help us to trust them for our own lives,
and help us to trust You with our lives.
In the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Advent meditation 5: Hope in God's Mercy
Hope in God’s Mercy
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His unfailing love.
Psalm 33:18
Did you ever feel that someone was watching you? It’s not a pleasant feeling. You wonder what you did wrong. Why is someone taking such an interest in you? Surely, their intentions cannot be good? No-one wants to live in an Orwellian society where our every move is monitored, our every action held up to scrutiny.
Of course, the whole concept changes when you know who is watching you. A child may take delight in breaking away from her parents, but deep down she is comforted knowing that Mom always has her eye on her, that Dad will not let any harm come to her. It’s the same when we fall in love. Our eyes meet across the room and a connection is made. “He’s looking at me!” We don’t resent a look of love.
When God looks at us, His is a look of love. The Hebrew word for that love is “hesed,” which is often translated as mercy or loving-kindness. When we live with a proper awe for the God who made us, then His eyes are upon us. When we place our hope in His unfailing love, then we should know that He is always watching out for us. Mercy is the aspect of God’s character that responds to our misery. Sin is miserable. Alienation from God, which is caused by sin, makes us want to weep. We feel lost, alone, afraid. But if, in response to His love, we turn back to Him and, like the prodigal, find Him running to greet us, then misery is overcome by mercy. He loves us. He will not take His eyes off us – this is our hope.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
source of all mercy and love,
we confess that we have wandered far from Your ways,
in our pride, we have sought out our own paths;
yet in Your loving-kindness You have brought us home.
May we be content to stay in Your presence;
may our hope in Your mercy never fail.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His unfailing love.
Psalm 33:18
Did you ever feel that someone was watching you? It’s not a pleasant feeling. You wonder what you did wrong. Why is someone taking such an interest in you? Surely, their intentions cannot be good? No-one wants to live in an Orwellian society where our every move is monitored, our every action held up to scrutiny.
Of course, the whole concept changes when you know who is watching you. A child may take delight in breaking away from her parents, but deep down she is comforted knowing that Mom always has her eye on her, that Dad will not let any harm come to her. It’s the same when we fall in love. Our eyes meet across the room and a connection is made. “He’s looking at me!” We don’t resent a look of love.
When God looks at us, His is a look of love. The Hebrew word for that love is “hesed,” which is often translated as mercy or loving-kindness. When we live with a proper awe for the God who made us, then His eyes are upon us. When we place our hope in His unfailing love, then we should know that He is always watching out for us. Mercy is the aspect of God’s character that responds to our misery. Sin is miserable. Alienation from God, which is caused by sin, makes us want to weep. We feel lost, alone, afraid. But if, in response to His love, we turn back to Him and, like the prodigal, find Him running to greet us, then misery is overcome by mercy. He loves us. He will not take His eyes off us – this is our hope.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
source of all mercy and love,
we confess that we have wandered far from Your ways,
in our pride, we have sought out our own paths;
yet in Your loving-kindness You have brought us home.
May we be content to stay in Your presence;
may our hope in Your mercy never fail.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Selah.
From Child of Hope, an Advent devotional by Alan Trafford.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Advent meditation day four
Hope in God’s Promises
And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today…Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
Acts 26:6,8
Standing before Agrippa, defending himself against the charges of blaspheming God and defaming the temple, Paul used Scripture to turn the tables on his accusers. It was his repeated assertion of the resurrection of Christ that made them livid, causing them to bay for his blood. Some of the Jews (the Sadducees) did not believe in resurrection, but the Pharisees did. They just didn’t want to believe that Christ had been raised.
What do we want to believe? Have we adopted the worldview of fallen humanity, or have we lived according to the story of Scripture? To live by the world’s rules is to discount the possibility of miracle. Dead bodies don’t get resuscitated. Virgins don’t give birth. Men can’t walk on water. Such things are impossible. They simply don’t happen. But when you put God into the equation – everything changes.
To live according to the promises of God is to accept that, because He is God, He can do whatever He wills, as long as it is consistent with His character. We cannot simply discount those
promises because they don’t fit in with our worldview. To reject the miraculous is, in the end, to reject God. We can have hope for the future because we trust the One who makes the promises. Hope is grounded in the promises of God, and in the character of the promise-maker who does not change.
Prayer for the Day
Heavenly Father,
forgive us when we follow, too closely,
the wisdom and the ways of the world.
Teach us to see things through the prism of Your Word,
and to trust that what You say, You mean,
and that You will do it.
In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.
Selah.
Advent meditation by Alan Trafford.
And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today…Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
Acts 26:6,8
Standing before Agrippa, defending himself against the charges of blaspheming God and defaming the temple, Paul used Scripture to turn the tables on his accusers. It was his repeated assertion of the resurrection of Christ that made them livid, causing them to bay for his blood. Some of the Jews (the Sadducees) did not believe in resurrection, but the Pharisees did. They just didn’t want to believe that Christ had been raised.
What do we want to believe? Have we adopted the worldview of fallen humanity, or have we lived according to the story of Scripture? To live by the world’s rules is to discount the possibility of miracle. Dead bodies don’t get resuscitated. Virgins don’t give birth. Men can’t walk on water. Such things are impossible. They simply don’t happen. But when you put God into the equation – everything changes.
To live according to the promises of God is to accept that, because He is God, He can do whatever He wills, as long as it is consistent with His character. We cannot simply discount those
promises because they don’t fit in with our worldview. To reject the miraculous is, in the end, to reject God. We can have hope for the future because we trust the One who makes the promises. Hope is grounded in the promises of God, and in the character of the promise-maker who does not change.
Prayer for the Day
Heavenly Father,
forgive us when we follow, too closely,
the wisdom and the ways of the world.
Teach us to see things through the prism of Your Word,
and to trust that what You say, You mean,
and that You will do it.
In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.
Selah.
Advent meditation by Alan Trafford.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Advent meditation 3: Hope and the Spirit
Hope and the Spirit
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given to us.
Romans 5:5
“Don’t talk of love burning inside,” sings Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. “Don’t talk of love, show me!” She has a point. Love, in the abstract, may make a fine subject for a romantic song or a Valentine card, but in the real world it has to be grounded in action. Love does not just croon, it also acts. Love gets up at 2:00 am when the baby is crying. Love holds the hand of an Alzheimer patient whose memory is gone. Love is so much more than words.
Paul knew this, so, when he spoke of the hope that does not disappoint us, he did not give in evidence the abstract love of which theologians sometimes write. Instead, Paul spoke of the active love of God, worked out in our lives through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is not the objective love of the cross of Calvary, it is the subjective love of the Christian walk. Our hope for the future is bound up in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit. As we see God at work in His people, through the prompting and enabling of the Spirit, so our hope is renewed. We see, before our eyes, that God can change lives, that love works. No wonder we are encouraged.
The coming of the Holy Spirit is also the fulfillment of Old Testament hope, expressed by the prophets, made real at Pentecost. God had promised that He would “pour out His Spirit on all flesh,” and that “sons and daughters would prophesy” (Joel 2). On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit fell, that covenant was fulfilled. It continues to be fulfilled in us.
Whenever we live out the precepts of the Gospel; whenever we refuse to conform to the prejudices of this world; whenever we allow the wind of the Spirit to blow through our lives; then we become a source of hope. In the end, though, it’s not our obedience that encourages, it’s God’s
faithfulness. He promised the Spirit, and the Spirit has come. Therefore, we live in hope.
Prayer for the Day
Holy Spirit,
wind and fire of God,
fan the weak embers of our love into a flame.
Fill up what is lacking in our devotion to Christ.
Make our lives testimonies to the love that can still transform. In the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
Advent meditation by Alan Trafford.
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given to us.
Romans 5:5
“Don’t talk of love burning inside,” sings Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. “Don’t talk of love, show me!” She has a point. Love, in the abstract, may make a fine subject for a romantic song or a Valentine card, but in the real world it has to be grounded in action. Love does not just croon, it also acts. Love gets up at 2:00 am when the baby is crying. Love holds the hand of an Alzheimer patient whose memory is gone. Love is so much more than words.
Paul knew this, so, when he spoke of the hope that does not disappoint us, he did not give in evidence the abstract love of which theologians sometimes write. Instead, Paul spoke of the active love of God, worked out in our lives through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is not the objective love of the cross of Calvary, it is the subjective love of the Christian walk. Our hope for the future is bound up in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit. As we see God at work in His people, through the prompting and enabling of the Spirit, so our hope is renewed. We see, before our eyes, that God can change lives, that love works. No wonder we are encouraged.
The coming of the Holy Spirit is also the fulfillment of Old Testament hope, expressed by the prophets, made real at Pentecost. God had promised that He would “pour out His Spirit on all flesh,” and that “sons and daughters would prophesy” (Joel 2). On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit fell, that covenant was fulfilled. It continues to be fulfilled in us.
Whenever we live out the precepts of the Gospel; whenever we refuse to conform to the prejudices of this world; whenever we allow the wind of the Spirit to blow through our lives; then we become a source of hope. In the end, though, it’s not our obedience that encourages, it’s God’s
faithfulness. He promised the Spirit, and the Spirit has come. Therefore, we live in hope.
Prayer for the Day
Holy Spirit,
wind and fire of God,
fan the weak embers of our love into a flame.
Fill up what is lacking in our devotion to Christ.
Make our lives testimonies to the love that can still transform. In the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Selah.
Advent meditation by Alan Trafford.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Advent meditation 2: Child of Hope
Hope in Christ
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be more pitied than all men.
I Corinthians 15:19
The Israelites hoped for the coming of the Lord’s Messiah. For centuries they looked forward to an end to the oppression under which they lived, and to the shame of being ruled by foreign powers. They longed for the coming of the One who would set them free, the Advent of the Son of Man, God’s Anointed. They hoped for freedom, for a return to David’s Kingdom, when other princes had brought tribute to Zion. During long, dark years, they lived in hope.
When He came, they didn’t notice Him. They expected a conquering hero mounted on a charger. What they got was a baby. Hope was fulfilled, not on the battlefields of Armageddon, but in a manger, in Bethlehem. The Messiah, the Christ, came to usher in the Kingdom of God; but it was not a kingdom of this world. His enemies were not the enemies of Israel: the Greeks who corrupted or the Romans who raped the land. His enemies were those attitudes of heart that divided the people from the God who had made them. Christ came to reconcile sinners to a holy God, to bring righteousness where, before, there had been only alienation and despair.
Christ still comes, today. Wherever human hearts grow heavy under the oppression of sin, Christ comes to bring healing. The salvation He offers is not from the sword of Caesar, but from the far more deadly evil that threatens to send us to an eternity without God. One day, at His Second Advent, Christ will reign upon the earth; but that is not our only hope. We may be encouraged today because He has given us a hope that is longer than our years – a hope of heaven, which is our home.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Christ,
You won, for us,
such a victory over sin and death that,
despite the darkness of the hour,
we can always see the sunshine of Your grace.
Give us hope for today, and for a tomorrow that will never end. For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
Advent meditation by Alan Trafford.
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be more pitied than all men.
I Corinthians 15:19
The Israelites hoped for the coming of the Lord’s Messiah. For centuries they looked forward to an end to the oppression under which they lived, and to the shame of being ruled by foreign powers. They longed for the coming of the One who would set them free, the Advent of the Son of Man, God’s Anointed. They hoped for freedom, for a return to David’s Kingdom, when other princes had brought tribute to Zion. During long, dark years, they lived in hope.
When He came, they didn’t notice Him. They expected a conquering hero mounted on a charger. What they got was a baby. Hope was fulfilled, not on the battlefields of Armageddon, but in a manger, in Bethlehem. The Messiah, the Christ, came to usher in the Kingdom of God; but it was not a kingdom of this world. His enemies were not the enemies of Israel: the Greeks who corrupted or the Romans who raped the land. His enemies were those attitudes of heart that divided the people from the God who had made them. Christ came to reconcile sinners to a holy God, to bring righteousness where, before, there had been only alienation and despair.
Christ still comes, today. Wherever human hearts grow heavy under the oppression of sin, Christ comes to bring healing. The salvation He offers is not from the sword of Caesar, but from the far more deadly evil that threatens to send us to an eternity without God. One day, at His Second Advent, Christ will reign upon the earth; but that is not our only hope. We may be encouraged today because He has given us a hope that is longer than our years – a hope of heaven, which is our home.
Prayer for the Day
Lord Christ,
You won, for us,
such a victory over sin and death that,
despite the darkness of the hour,
we can always see the sunshine of Your grace.
Give us hope for today, and for a tomorrow that will never end. For Your love’s sake.
Amen.
Selah.
Advent meditation by Alan Trafford.