Keep Watch and Walk Towards the Light “Scripture tells us that we are forgiven! It calls us to walk in the light of the Lord (Isaiah 2:1-5), to pray for peace (Psalm 122) and to keep watch for Christ’s return (Matthew 24:36-44), putting aside our deeds of darkness and living in the light (Romans 13:11-14). In this season of Advent, we celebrate the Child who is the Light. We thank God for the forgiveness of sins and reaffirm our desire to walk with the Lord.”
God made us and we are His (Psalm 100), the sheep of His pasture who worship Him and take comfort in his guidance (Psalm 95). Our Good Shepherd will look after, and search for, His lost sheep (Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24). We pray for wisdom and enlightenment so that we may know Christ better (Ephesians 1: 15-23), longing for Christ to come and say, “You who are blessed, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world (Matthew 25:31-46).”
“We plead with God for mercy on our situations, submitting to him and looking to him for help (Psalm 123). We use our gifts and talents wisely (Matt. 25:14-30) until his anticipated return (1 Thess. 5:1-11) and judgment (Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18).” -Thomas Oden, Ancient Christian Devotional
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“God does not want lip service; he wants obedience from us (Amos 5:18-24). God is our powerful help and deliverer (Psalm 70 and Psalm 78); because we love him, we seek a pure heart and motives (Matthew 25:1-13), knowing that in Jesus, we have the assurance of salvation and eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).” -Thomas Oden, Ancient Christian Devotional
“Even when circumstances are overpoweringly difficult, God “turns deserts into pools of water, and parched land into springs of water” (Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37). We desire to live worthy lives (1 Thess. 2:9-13), not for the praise of other people but in order to please God (Matt. 23:1-12) and to walk in the light rather than the darkness (Micah 3:5-12, Psalm 43)” -Thomas Oden, Ancient Christian Devotional
“God is eternal, while our time on earth is fleeting (Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17). Because of this, we seek to share the gospel as Paul did (1 Thessalonians 2:1-8), loving the Lord and loving our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:34-46) and living holy lives, as much as possible (Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18).” -Thomas Oden
The glory and holiness of God are outside of our human capacity to comprehend (Exodus 33:12-23). In spite of this, our Creator has revealed his love for us and deserves our allegiance and praise (Psalm 99 and Psalm 96). We should turn away from idols and serve the living God, who is sovereign over all of the creation (Isaiah 45:1-7). Earthly authorities deserve our respect but are fleeting in comparison to the scope of God’s rule (Matthew 22:15-22).
“God allows us the chance to intercede for others through prayer (Exodus 32:1-14). We come to him confessing our sins and praising him (Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23), putting aside our anxieties and setting our minds on Christ (Philippians 4:1-9) and recognizing the promise of eternal life with God (Matthew 22:1-14).” –Thomas Oden in the “Ancient Christian Devotional“
God gave the law through Moses so that we would learn to honor Him as the true God, and find rest and freedom living according to His word (Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20). We can see that God created the universe by looking at the beauty of His creation and meditating on His words (Psalm 19). God has provided salvation for us in spite of our unfaithfulness (Psalm 80:7-15). In response, we are called to live in faith, knowing that our righteousness is only found in Christ (Philippians 3:4b-14). He is the only sure foundation for a fruitful life (Matthew 21:33-46).
Trusting God’s Provision: Living in Humility, Faith, and Service
Cry out to God and remember what he has done. Listen to his promises, trust him, and live according to his ways (Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16). God is gracious to provide for our needs, even when we complain and are undeserving (Exodus 17:1-17). In gratitude, we turn from our own concerns to consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:1-13). Through faith and trust, we bow in humility to take Jesus at his word, accepting his authority and divinity (Matthew 21:23-32).
