Prayer – Lord, You said to “be prepared” and I’m
thinking that means now we should be preparing for Christmas…as well as
preparing for Your eminent return.
And through your faith, God is protecting you by his
power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the
last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:5
Meditate. Consider faith.
Advent
Preparing for Christmas
Is advent important to you? These
are days of preparation in the four weeks before Christmas. Advent means
"Coming" in Latin. To some people, these weeks are just getting their
homes decorated and presents made or bought to put under their tree. There is
more to it than that...or there should be more to it. Prepare your heart and
remember the real reason for Christmas. Jesus came to earth as our Savior. The
four weeks are symbolized using people and places to remind of the event:
Prophets - Hope
Bethlehem - Faith
Shepherds - Joy
Angels – Peace
Today is the second Sunday of
Advent, so we focus today on faith. Faith is…
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually
happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1
Faith is believing in and trusting that the Lord God is real
and has a plan—one that is happening right before our eyes. Without faith, we
have no hope, no joy, nor peace. Without faith we are lost. Treasure the faith that
God has given you. Keep the hope, be filled with joy, and radiate the peace
that God gives you. Respond in love.
Through Christ you
have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God
because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. 1 Peter
1:21
As you prepare to celebrate the coming holy days…and the future
that God has planned for you, celebrate with faith—for God Himself is faithful.
Understand,
therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who
keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love
on those who love him and obey his commands. Deuteronomy 7:9
Verse of Salvation ~ It was by faith that Noah built
a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who
warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah
condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes
by faith. Hebrews 11:7 (Underlined for emphasis – saved as in salvation.
Built…as in prepared.)
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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