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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.

 

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