Good morning! We are a week away from the official start of our Advent Study for 2020. I wanted to set the tone and make it easy to know what to expect from this study. We are blessed to have many new friends join us this year, and hope for even a few more yet!
Just a reminder- if you follow on Facebook only and do not receive the email- it CONSTANTLY kicks me out of chronological order and the past few studies ladies have said they never receive the daily notice of a new post. If that is the case simply check this blog link M-F. There should always be a new study, typically up before 9am.
This year we will highlight several key passages of both the promises made and kept in the coming of Christ at Christmas. Unique this year are 2 features- one every passage we study actually has a scripture set to music feature- I will send the link out each week, with the scripture set to song, it makes it super easy to meditate on and memorize! And 2, we will study a hymn each week so that as we worship through song we can have a better understanding of the theological richness of our Christmas lyrics!
I am extra excited this year. It has been a very hard year for a million reasons to every single person in this study. And, in a year where we all joked in 2020 that it would be the year of vision and clarity; many of us have lost sight. But, maybe that was the point all along. We had hopes, predictions and promised we felt entitled too, waited on, and perhaps were even owed. Now, seeing that truly the Lord holds our future and that even tomorrow is Lord willing; many of us have fallen into despair, depression or spiritual darkness. But oh, may we not end that way. In my heart and mind the best way to end 2020 in the most joyful of ways, is to focus on Christ. He has fulfilled every promise and will fulfill what is yet to come. We can trust our hearts and minds and days to the King who is the culmination of the OT prophecy and will come back the completing the NT promises yet. We share so much with those who eagerly awaited the coming of Christ, and so we wait, let again. However, we do it, in the promises fulfilled, they waited to proclaim EMMANUEL, the hope of God with them; and we wait with eager expectation rooted and grounded in the fact that EMMAUEL, God is with us! We do not wait alone.
The study notes in my Bible this morning struck me. In Amos 4 it talks about the Israelites, who "though enthusiastic about ritual had no relationship with God." I needed to take a deep breath. As I study for this time this is not the first reminder that I can get lost- in the sentimentalism of Christmas, in the feeling that rushes into my heart during the Candlelight Christmas Eve services or the traditions that come. I can be super enthusiastic about the traditions of Jesus- and forget to invite Him to the celebration. This year, much of that in many areas of our world will be stripped away. And as we ask ourselves almost every study we do together, will Jesus be enough?! It is the greatest gift to end a very hard year with the birth of the Savior. Such a gift. His goodness and grace; being born to die; to take away the sins of the world.
Ps 36 has been so etched in my heart and 1 verse in particular has struck me. Verse 9 For with you in the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
In your light do we see light. Jesus came, the light of the World, the exact imprint, the radiance of the Glory of God. In His light do we see light.
May Christ and His sufficiency be the greatest Light of our Advent season. May we set Him high that others may see the Light of Christmas. <3
No comments:
Post a Comment