God loves you.
Such a simple phrase and yet so hard to wrap our brains around some days. In these busy days of Advent leading up to Christmas, let’s pause as we think about this week of love. Today, may you be reminded of one of the ways God loves you.
MONDAY, December 15 Presence Present
2 Samuel 7:8-9 VOICE
I [God] have been with you wherever you journeyed and have given you victory over your enemies...
Wherever and whenever, God is love. God's love has always been with us and always shall be present. Yet we seem to be so slow and unwilling to accept this gift, this presence present that can change our life. As I reflect this week on my Thousand God-Gifts, may I remember this one gift that supersedes all others, this one gift of Immanuel that lives and thrives in every other moment of grace experienced.
Restore me in the image of your love this day
That the longings of my heart may be true.
Restore me in the image of your love this day
That my passions for life may be full. (Celtic Benediction by J Phillip Newell)
2 Samuel 7:10 GNT
I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more.
We all like having a secure place of refuge. Perhaps it is a corner, a room, a cozy chair, a porch spot in the sun or a grove of trees in the hills. But it is a place where we can grow, talk to God, and know we won't be bothered. In 2 Samuel, God promised this to the people of Israel. The promise still holds true today. Perhaps the physical location varies or is affected, but as long as God is in our place with us, we can feel wrapped in the arms of God's love.
O great God, grant me your Light;
O great God, grant me your Grace;
O great God, grant me your Joy this day
And let me be made Holy in the safety of your arms.
(Adapted from Prayers from Iona by J Phillip Newell)
Psalm 89:1-2 GNT
O Lord, I will always sing of your constant love;
I will proclaim your faithfulness forever.
2 I know that your love will last for all time,
that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.
It is amazing to think of the expanse of God's love. The same LOVE that fills my heart and soul also was there for my grandparents and generations back in time. That Love is part of my sons and their future families. I have a habit of saying part of the Lord's prayer in Spanish because it is a reminder for me of my missionary forefathers heritage in Spanish speaking countries. I learned the words from my grandfather's Spanish Bible. As I mouth the words quietly to myself, I picture the generations of grandfathers before me and I am filled with a peace that comes from such a solid foundation.
The Christ child coming is our personal missionary of Love. God with us. God loving us. Surely, our response should be none other than praise!
You are the love of each living creature O God
You are the warmth of the rising sun
You are the whiteness of the moon at night.
You are the life of the growing earth
You are the strength of the waves of the sea.
Speak to me this day O God
Speak to me of your truth,
Dwell with me this day O God
Dwell with me in Love. (Adapted from Celtic Prayers from Iona by J Phillip Newell)
FRIDAY, December 19 What? Are You Kidding, God?
Luke 1:26-32 (excerpts from GNT)
.. the angel Gabriel .. had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph... Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God.
What would our reaction be if God came to us physically in the form of an angel and shared such news? Various translations say Mary was baffled, perplexed, or 'shaken' by the angel. Can you blame her? And then the angel gives the usual angel words, "Don't be afraid!" Right!
I read this passage as another example of God's methodology - God works through the unexpected and in unexpected ways. God works through the humble and the lowly in very quiet ways. God even works through you and me in unimaginable ways. What is our responsibility? Fear not. Listen. Accept our role with trust.
As Jesus comes to us once again, may we remember Mary's response. May we seek when and where God is whispering, 'Don't be afraid! I have a job for you!'
SATURDAY, December 20 Possible Impossibilities
Luke 1:34-38 (The Voice excerpts)
How can this be possible?.....The impossible is possible with God....I am the Lord's servant. Let it be as you have said.
Mary questions, is assured, and responds with affirmation. She doesn't really understand, only that this comes from God. She doesn't reply, "But it's never been done that way!" or "That would NEVER work in my church/home/job/fill in the blank!" She is reminded that in and through God, miracles can happen. Miracles DO happen. Be a part of the miracle, Mary - I want to use you! God likes to think 'outside the box' - God likes to use extraordinary methods that involve ordinary people. With God, all things ARE possible.
I left off the part of this scripture that involves Elizabeth. But cousin Liz provides a comfort for Mary - she's not in this impossible situation all alone. They can support each other, gain strength for what God is asking of them from one another. How often does God provide us with that kind of community? All the time if we seek it, if we run to it, as Mary did to Elizabeth. Our church can be that realm of support, a mentor, a close friend, as well as the knowledge that God is always present. Perhaps I am the comfort, the support, for another? Perhaps we have the ability through someone else to make the impossible possible.
Lead me O God on the journey of justice,
Guide me O God on the pathways of peace,
Renew me O God by the wellsprings of grace
Today, tonight, and forever. (Celtic Prayers from Iona by J Phillip Newell)
SUNDAY, December 21 Secret Presence
Romans 16:25-26 GNT
...I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past. Now, however, that truth has been brought out into the open through the writings of the prophets...
God was giving out a present without a gift tag. Who was the present for? What was inside? Jesus - Immanuel - was the secret presence in the present. And there is no gift tag. The present is for all mankind, for all time. The present is God's presence - with us and in us. The present is love, manifest is a multitude of ways and through a lifetime of relationships and communities. The greatest gift of all....rejoice! Love is soon to be born on Christmas day!
May the light of God illumine the heart of my soul.
May the flame of Christ kindle me to love.
May the fire of the Spirit free me to live
This day, tonight, and forever. (Celtic Benediction by J Philip Newell)
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