Advent Devotions
All are invited as we Make Room this Advent season.
A Voice in the Wilderness
Today’s author is Prince of Peace’s Sacred Settlement Intentional Neighbor, Mischa Beary.
Why a voice in the wilderness? Not a voice in the city, or on the hill top, or in the marketplace or by the river? A place of vibrancy and people and hustling and bustling?
In Judaism, the wilderness (Midbar) is a powerful representation of transformation, a crucial stage between slavery and freedom, a testing ground for faith and a sacred space for divine revelation.
The Israelites relied on the voice of God through Moses to move forward; to travel the path God had for them to the promised land. It is a testing ground for the hearts of men. Would they obey God? Would they follow His commands? Would they remember what God had already done for them?
The Wilderness is surrender to God, clinging to His voice and being reliant on Him for everything. John was the voice crying out in the wilderness to ready the hearts of the people. John immersed with water in repentance; cleansing the heart. Jesus would immerse with the Holy Spirit, allowing us to be born again; cleansing the soul.
John goes on to say “Make straight the way of the LORD.” And Isaiah 40:3 “…”Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” When you look at a straight path, or a straight highway, it’s direct, the destination is clear ahead. John was referring to Jesus and our connection to the Father through Jesus.
In John 14:6, Jesus says “…I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The only way to God is through Jesus, He, Himself is the straight path. There is no other way to God- no left or right hand turn. Someone once told me, “There are many ways to Jesus, or Jesus finds us in many ways, but there is only ONE way to God, through Jesus.
Later in Isaiah 40:5 we read, “then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together…” The glory of the LORD is Jesus the Messiah Himself. He reveals Himself to all flesh, it is up to us to make the choice to follow Him. Jesus says “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14
John was sharing this testimony when the Priests and Levites came to question him. Think about your own testimony. How did Jesus reveal Himself to you? What are some of the ways He has worked in your heart and in your life? How does your testimony make a straight way in the wilderness? As believers of the One True God, our testimonies make a way for others to see Jesus, to open their hearts to Him, so that they too can hear Him in the wilderness.
Previously…
Finding Your New Normal
The loss of someone with whom you have shared a deep emotional and supportive relationship usually causes the most intense grief reaction. Someone who has held you up emotionally when you were in a crisis, helped shape your sense of self, and encouraged you to reach for your dreams is physically removed from your life forever.
What the Bible Says About Grief
Grief is an emotion common to the human experience. Multiple Bible characters experienced deep loss and sadness, including Job, Naomi, Hannah, and David. Even Jesus mourned (John 11:35; Matthew 23:37-39).
Grief Caused by the Loss of a Loved One
A peek at a typical worship service reveals that today many worshipers are older or elderly. Some may be sick with illnesses that threaten their very lives.
Hope in the Darkness
In the midst of a world that seems to grow darker each day, yesterday’s reading emerges as a beacon of hope for those with anxious hearts. Isaiah’s words, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God,” echo through the ages, assuring us that even in the midst of uncertainty, God’s compassion and care remain unwavering.