Skip to main content

Devotional 12.4.25

 


December 4, 2025 – Abound in Hope

Romans 15:11-13 – And again it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Scripture Reading – Psalm 99

 

Hope. That is the first theme in the season of Advent. Week 1 is a time of waiting, preparation and watchfulness for the coming Messiah. In our passage this week Paul is speaking of the hope that both Jews and Gentiles have. The God of the nation of Israel had a plan for all the peoples (Psalm 99:2) to be able to have salvation simply by believing and putting their faith in Jesus. 

 

Psalm 99 is a song of praise to a personal, holy God, The King (v. 4) came not to rule and reign through power and might, but as a baby to become the suffering servant. It is through his life, death, and resurrection that justice, equity, and righteousness (v. 4) was established for us. He is worthy of praise (v. 3), to be exalted (vv. 5, 9) and worshiped (v. 9). 

 

On Sunday we will worship in anticipation of the coming Christ child. As people who have put their faith in him, we’ll sing “O Come All Ye Faithful;” O come let us adore him. In “Who You Say I Am” we can rejoice because the highest King welcomes me [us]. “Holy, Holy, Holy” acknowledges that God is both merciful and mighty. In our final song, “I Will Call Upon the Lord,” we’ll sing blessed be my Rock. Let the God of my salvation be exalted. The baby that was born in Bethlehem two millennia ago will grow up to fulfill the prophecy of being a chosen and precious cornerstone, a sure foundation that whoever believes in him will not be put to shame (Isaiah 28:16/1 Peter 2:6). Let us praise our God and our Savior for the hope we have as we wait in anticipation this Christmas season for the greatest gift ever given.

 

Further reading: Psalm 18:46; Isaiah 28:16-17; 1 Peter 2:1-10; Romans 15:8-13

 

Reflection Questions:

1.     As you enter into the Advent season, what are you hoping for? What do you put your hope in?

2.     As you meditate on the hope you have, how is your paise and worship of the coming Christ child affected?

 

Prayer: Merciful Father, thank you that we can be people of hope. You are the God of hope that fills me with all joy and peace. Help me to not be distracted by the noise, the busyness and commercialization of this holiday season. But let my love, devotion and adoration of you spill over into every part of my life. Thank you for the greatest gift ever given, Jesus. As you’ve been generous to me, embolden me to offer the gift of salvation to the people around me. Amen.


A playlist of our morning worship songs can be listened to here.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Devotional 5.16.25

Yours, O Lord, Is the Kingdom   1 Chronicles 29:10-11 Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.   Scripture Reading: Psalm 70   Psalm 70 is a cry for urgent help: “Make haste, O God, to deliver me!” In contrast, 1 Chronicles 29 declares God’s eternal rule, power, and glory. Together, they reveal two essential truths of faith: God is both near to the needy and exalted above all. We pray for deliverance while praising His unshakable sovereignty. David, in his final prayer, praised the Lord not for personal blessing, but for God’s eternal kingship and majesty. When we feel weak and desperate like the psalmist, we look up and remember the greatness of our God and His amazing love demonstrated in sending Jesus Christ (John 3:16; R...
Post a Comment
Read more

Devotional 7.11.25

July 11, 2025 – Tell The Story Matthew 28:18-20:  And Jesus came and said to them,  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.   Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,   teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”   Scripture Reading – Psalm 78   What’s your story? What is God’s redemptive story? Do those intersect for you? This week is a good time to reflect on those questions. The writer of Psalm 78 is recounting the lessons from Israel’s past. Asaph is doing this to remind them of who God is, the mighty and faithful acts he’s done, and that Israel (the tribe of Judah, v. 68) are God’s chosen people. The psalmist’s desire is that they not only repent of their sin and unbelief (v. 32), but that their transformation and turning back to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Devotional 4.25.25

Grace Received, Grace Shared Ephesians 2:8–10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.   Scripture Reading: Psalm 66   Ephesians 2:8–10 reminds us that our salvation is purely a gift of grace—not earned, but given, so that no one may boast. We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to live lives of purpose, filled with good works prepared by Him. Psalm 67 echoes this theme, celebrating God’s mercy and blessing so that His ways may be known throughout the earth. As we come to the Lord’s Table on Sunday, we remember we are saved by grace and sent by grace. Communion is not just a remembrance of Christ’s death—it’s also a recommissioning to live out the grace we've received, that all nations might rejoice in God’s saving power through our ...
Post a Comment
Read more