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A Glory Seed Devotional for the greater Glory of God!
Anticipating Christmas…
“Is it that I haven't seen you, God? Have I been looking someplace else for you? Or have my eyes been covered by the distractions in my life? And yet you are so faithful in your love for me. I see now with a new vision and great hope, because my heart is enraptured by your love. I pray to you and feel the power of your coming, like a light on the path before me guiding me to return your love even more. Let me raise my voice with new courage and deep joy to give you praise with my life.”**
I said this before and I’ll keep on saying it – one of the great wonders of Christmas for me is the spirit of anticipation. Eugene Peterson in the Message Translation of the Bible puts words to my feelings of anticipation not just for Christmas but for the many blessings that comes with Jesus’ birth. “That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.” (Romans 8:18–21, The Message)
Sitting here looking at our Christmas tree with its brightly colored lights of red, green, blue, yellow, and orange I am reminded that Jesus is the Light and the Light of Jesus is a multi-colored/multi-blessing Light of Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness. Today’s Advent Prayer talks about distractions and the difficulty we have at times to see Jesus through the many clouds of this world yet as we turn distractions into anticipations the multi-colored Light of Jesus pierces the thickest cloud.
“Come, thou long expected (and anticipated) Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.”
Anticipate! Experience! Believe! Be transformed!
Grace and PEACE, Amen!
Gary
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Jesus said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.” (John 8:12, CEV)
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Scriptures marked CEV, “Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.”
**“Taken from Praying Advent, on Creighton University's Online Ministries web site:
http://onlineministries.creighton.ed...ry/online.html
Used with permission.”