Day 16 Advent Devotional | December 19th
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of Holy Spirit.
Have you ever looked into the eyes of a homeless person? How about a person fighting addiction? How about a child struggling to make the grade in school? Or, a parent holding a sick child who has been given a hard diagnosis? What do you see…or not see? To me the common thread is hopelessness. Their mindset is often: I can’t do this; Nothing can help me. This way of thinking can spiral a person downward so quickly…into depression.
But God….yes, but God…is the God of hope, the God of possibilities. The question that arises then is: How can these that are being strangled by worry, angst, and depression find that hope and the joy and peace that God is offering to those who believe and trust Him? As Pastor Kirk has been challenging us, it’s by each of us bringing someone else along on the narrow road that leads to salvation…by caring for other’s physical needs as well as spiritual needs.
Christmas offers us the perfect opportunity to share the hope that God offers with someone around us. Just look…find those eyes that are dim with overwhelming need. Speak Jesus to them and do something that shows Jesus to them.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may I see the eyes of individuals around me that crave to know that someone cares. May I show them that the Baby of Christmas is the God Who brings hope to life here and now as well as for our eternity. In Jesus’s Name. Amen!