Advent devotions 2008

Tue, 6 Jan 2009

JAN. 7 - WHAT HAS CHANGED?
By Karen Graber, a senior elementary education major from Hurley, S.D.

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 29 (NRSV)
Scroll down for complete Scripture.

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DEVOTIONAL:
Listen to the powerful words of this Psalm: God of mighty waters breaks the cedars, flashes flames of fire, shakes the wilderness, whirls the solid oaks and is enthroned over the flood. These word pictures are powerful indications of God's omnipotence. Humans relate best to what they know and this Psalm paints word pictures that clarify God's strength. However, God can alter everything in the blink of an eye.

The holiday season draws to a close; families return to their respective places, life goes back to the daily routines that were present before the holiday hustle and bustle. What has changed? Has our perspective changed? Life isn’t supposed to go back to the way it was, but instead we find renewed hope in the joy of Christ’s birth and the power of God's love.

Letting our faces shine with the knowledge that God is working in our chaotic world is not an easy task. For some, the future is a small window that is foggy and uncertain. Seemingly overwhelming obstacles that lay ahead can be depressing and discouraging. Many of my friends and their families have been dealing with major life-changing events, both exciting and terrifying: graduating from college, getting married, battling cancer, preparing to do long-term service assignments, looking for jobs, etc. God's light can shine through the uncertainty of the world in which we live. It is recognizing that light in both happy and hard times brings hope to all.

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PRAYER:
As we rejoice in Christ's birth and look ahead to the new year before us, God, grant strength and peace to all.

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SCRIPTURE: Psalm 29 (NRSV)
A Psalm of David.
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendour.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, 'Glory!'

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king for ever.

May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Posted at 18:01 #



Disclaimer:
The views and beliefs expressed in the devotional piece prepared by each individual reflect their own spiritual growth journey and thoughts, and while created in a campus environment that encourages thoughtful questions and reflection on biblical Scripture and contemporary Christian themes, do not necessarily represent the official institutional positions of Goshen College or Mennonite Church USA.