Advent Devotional Dec 3
Week One:
Creating Shalom means Bringing Hope
Saturday, December 3, 2022
“A Merciful Hope” – Read Isaiah 40:1-11
“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. (v. 1, CEB)
Recently I journeyed through a great grief, and I am here today to bear witness to this passage from Isaiah. The mercy of God and his tender loving care carried me through the darkest hours and beyond. In a second, my beautiful life stopped; there was only silence broken occasionally by the weeping of my soul. I wanted to hide, but there was nowhere to hide; the destruction was too great. My beautiful 14-year-old boy had a bullet in his head, self-inflicted, they said. My heart was shattered.
The initial days are all a blur except for a tender recognition of Mary as the mother of Jesus. Mary, the mother of God, whom I had only ever encountered in the Christmas story. In Mary, I found someone who understood, someone whose own journey as the mother of Jesus found her heart pierced at the foot of the cross. From the joy of His birth to the agony of the crucifixion, Mary understands what it is to be a mother. Mary stood by Jesus as he was beaten, tortured, and murdered. Though her heart was pierced, she was ever present, always loving, always trusting. Mary’s story gave me the strength to bear the journey ahead. Mary is here this Advent season for all of us, pregnant with Hope.
As the weeks turned into months, there was slow recovery and much mercy. The climb to health from a traumatic brain injury is straight uphill. Were it not for the graces of God, I would simply have laid down and chosen to die on the path to recovery. It was beyond difficult. But Isaiah says in verse 11, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” From the prophecy of Isaiah to my own journey, how tenderly He kept me and my young ones in those difficult days. I hid under the wings of my Creator for weeks. Glimpses of hope pierced the darkness as my son awoke. Hope soothed my parched soul, and I was consoled by my Maker. Close to the heart of God, there is much mercy.
Shepherding God, guide us through this season of anticipation and hope. Comfort our troubled minds and strengthen our tired bodies. Restore the hope this season offers, that we might lift our voices with strength and joy! Level the rocky ground, that we might prepare for your arrival in our world. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.
Dr. Yaz Johnson
Member, Wesley United Methodist Church, Shawnee, OK
“A Merciful Hope” – Read Isaiah 40:1-11
“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. (v. 1, CEB)
Recently I journeyed through a great grief, and I am here today to bear witness to this passage from Isaiah. The mercy of God and his tender loving care carried me through the darkest hours and beyond. In a second, my beautiful life stopped; there was only silence broken occasionally by the weeping of my soul. I wanted to hide, but there was nowhere to hide; the destruction was too great. My beautiful 14-year-old boy had a bullet in his head, self-inflicted, they said. My heart was shattered.
The initial days are all a blur except for a tender recognition of Mary as the mother of Jesus. Mary, the mother of God, whom I had only ever encountered in the Christmas story. In Mary, I found someone who understood, someone whose own journey as the mother of Jesus found her heart pierced at the foot of the cross. From the joy of His birth to the agony of the crucifixion, Mary understands what it is to be a mother. Mary stood by Jesus as he was beaten, tortured, and murdered. Though her heart was pierced, she was ever present, always loving, always trusting. Mary’s story gave me the strength to bear the journey ahead. Mary is here this Advent season for all of us, pregnant with Hope.
As the weeks turned into months, there was slow recovery and much mercy. The climb to health from a traumatic brain injury is straight uphill. Were it not for the graces of God, I would simply have laid down and chosen to die on the path to recovery. It was beyond difficult. But Isaiah says in verse 11, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” From the prophecy of Isaiah to my own journey, how tenderly He kept me and my young ones in those difficult days. I hid under the wings of my Creator for weeks. Glimpses of hope pierced the darkness as my son awoke. Hope soothed my parched soul, and I was consoled by my Maker. Close to the heart of God, there is much mercy.
Shepherding God, guide us through this season of anticipation and hope. Comfort our troubled minds and strengthen our tired bodies. Restore the hope this season offers, that we might lift our voices with strength and joy! Level the rocky ground, that we might prepare for your arrival in our world. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.
Dr. Yaz Johnson
Member, Wesley United Methodist Church, Shawnee, OK
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