Daily Devotions – December 14, 2021

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Luke 1:46b-55

46And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Mary spoke these words when she was young, unmarried, and pregnant—not an ideal situation in the ancient world. She was blessed because God chose her, and she accepted the call. She willingly took on an enormous burden: the burden of uncertainty, the burden of carrying a child she did not plan to carry, and later the burden of seeing her beloved son die. I sometimes wonder about her heartbreak at the cross. We know she was there, standing near her child. Did she recall these words that she spoke when she was young? Did she know he would be raised? Did she wonder what all this was for, that she should see her son die like that?
Then Jesus rose from the dead. The gospel narrative of the Bible does not record just how Mary reacted, though I wonder if once again she recalled these words—this time when she seemed to be with full understanding and gratitude.

Prayer: Glorious God, we cannot fully understand your goodness, your beauty, or your faithfulness, but we pray that we, like Mary, may rejoice in your favor forever. Amen.

Daily Devotion – December 13, 2021

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Micah 5:2-5a

 2 But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
 who are one of the little clans of Judah,
 from you shall come forth for me
 one who is to rule in Israel,
 whose origin is from of old,
 from ancient days.
 3Therefore he shall give them up until the time
 when she who is in labor has brought forth;
 then the rest of his kindred shall return
 to the people of Israel.
 4And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD,
 in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
 And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
 to the ends of the earth;
 5and he shall be the one of peace.
 If the Assyrians come into our land
 and tread upon our soil,
 we will raise against them seven shepherds
 and eight installed as rulers.

 

Today’s reading uses imagery of pregnancy and
labor. If you have ever waited for the birth of a child,
you know the anticipation, the sense of wonder, and
the stress it involves. That child is going to change
your life, but for now, you are waiting … waiting.
Advent, too, is a time of waiting, a time of
anticipation, and yes, of stress. We are often
overwhelmed with lengthy to-do lists: planning
holiday events, Christmas shopping, baking treats.
With the busyness of the season, it is easy to forget
how Israel was waiting for the Messiah. The child
that came long ago not only changed the life of his
family, but changed the lives of the entire world.
This Advent let’s keep that sense of wonder and
anticipation for the coming Messiah. Let’s put that
child who saved the world at the center of our lives
and thank God for such a gift.

Prayer: Merciful God, we anticipate the coming of the Christchild this Advent season. We pray that we don’t get
caught up in the daily stresses of life and that we keep
Christ at the center of our lives. Amen.