December 6, 2019

It’s Friday of this week of Hope. How has the first week of Advent gone for you? I hope you have taken some time to renew and refresh yourself in a few basic truths: our desperate need for a Savior; before heaven and nature can sing, every heart must prepare Him room; once you’ve made room for Him, you should begin to have a hunger and thirst for Jesus and for the things of God; and that will drive you into the scriptures of the Advent and you will inevitably begin to memorize some of the passages as you read them over and over with the Spirit revealing ever deeper truth. 


Yesterday, I got tickled at my puppy because his habits are starting to be formed. He has a certain place in the yard he likes to do his number one and another place for the other and when he’s finished, he runs his little legs off to get to that door as fast as he can. Then, when get there and open it, he runs again straight to his bowl. He knows it food time! And when I tell him it’s “night night, he goes into his kennel (because he knows there are snacks there). Habits. Even puppies form them and we need to form them as well (although maybe at a little higher standard). 


Digging into scripture, especially at this time of year is truly important habit to form. Even if you have read the story 100 times, read it 110. It’s worth it. Read a sentence and think about it. Think about the time and what was really going on. Picture it in your mind what it looked like, smelled like, sounded like and felt like. How would you have felt if you’d been there? Don’t rush through it just because it’s familiar.


Keep in mind that the God who rules the universe surely controls things like a spare room at the inn or when Mary’s water would break or when the census would commence. So why? Why a carpenter named Joseph and a simple little girl named Mary and why a stable? And above all thing, why poverty? The King of glory came down not in glorious manner, but as lowly and humble as possible. He did it all for us. He could have been born in a king’s household, but for us He decided to become poor. 


“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭8:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬


That makes me just a bit teary when I let it sink in. How about you? 


Lord Jesus, what a wonder you are! Thank you for being born in such a lowly state so that we might learn what is important. You showed us how to truly live and to care for one another. Your hope is a reminder to us that you are working for our good. Your hope gives us meaning and purpose in this life as we anticipate the next. Teach us Lord and lead us through the scripture. Speak to us Spirit as we read so that we may grow and learn and dig deeper. Help us to uncover the hope we have in you. Help us to use this Advent Season to draw closer to you and to build habits of scripture reading and study. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam



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