Wednesday, December 25, 2019
The Wonder of
What God Has Done Through His Son:
An Advent Devotional Guide
Create in me a
clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away
from thy presence, and do not take thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy
of thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach
transgressors thy ways, and sinners will be converted to thee.
Psalm 51:10-13
Pastor Mark preached a sermon recently in which he reminded us that we
have to know what we have to offer before we go to someone to make that offer.
Remember how the clowns tried to blow up a balloon when they didn’t know how?
Then when they learned how, they could teach others (and blow up a whole bunch
of balloons).
This Scripture could easily have been used to illustrate that sermon. One
of the reasons I love this Scripture is that I know that David had really
messed up, big time! He had lusted for the wife of another man, had committed
adultery with her, and had had her husband killed. There is not one of those
things that is not on God’s list of abominations! Yet, with great contrition,
David has the nerve to ask some pretty powerful things from God, things that we
know must have pleased God, for he later says of him that David was a man after
his own – God’s own – heart!
God wants us to come to him with contrite hearts, genuinely repentant for
being self-seeking and self-willed. First God has to change our hearts, make us
steadfast, assure us of our restored position with him, restore our joy
of salvation, and make us willing to go out. Then and only then will we be
effective in sharing the good news with another! Others need to hear. God wants
us to go to them with joy of salvation.
Enjoy the real reason for Christmas – the joyous arrival of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And take that joy to the world!
Father, Create in us clean hearts;
restore the joy of our salvation so that we may share that joy
with others and bring honor to you this Christmas and all year. Amen
The Wonder of What God Has Done Through His
Son:
An
Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Winter 2009
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator
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