“O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears”
Monday
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Zion was known as the place where God dwells. In the words of this verse, there is an invitation to God’s people, a promise that they will come out of the anxiety and sadness and into the loving, comforting presence of God, through Jesus Christ.
What is giving you joy during this season?
What is causing you to mourn?
How are you holding both of these emotions during this season in the presence of God?
Gracious God, we invite you to come to us anew. We welcome you into our hearts and our worlds, the beauty and chaos, the hopes and disappointments, the peace and anxiety. Help us to be present with you that we might receive your gifts of grace and mercy that frees us from the lonely exile we find ourselves in. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tuesday
For the Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places,
and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.
In this season, we bring all of who we are to God, in Christ, trusting that in His love He will fill our empty places and cause us to flourish. In the midst of our wilderness and feelings of being stuck, we can find joy and thanksgiving, not because everything is perfect, but because God has become flesh and present with us.
Where are the places of desolation in your life and relationships that you would like to hide from others and, perhaps, God?
What do you hear God saying to you about those places as you invite Him in?
Is there someone in your life who needs to feel the healing presence of God today? How can you be His presence of peace to them?
Gracious God, we invite you to come to us anew. We welcome you into our hearts and our worlds, the beauty and chaos, the hopes and disappointments, the peace and anxiety. Help us to be present with you that we might receive your gifts of grace and mercy that frees us from the lonely exile we find ourselves in. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Wednesday
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
As we sing, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, we are the beautiful messengers of God, inviting Him to come as author and finisher of the good news that brings salvation, comfort, and peace to all individuals and all nations. Though we may feel like those in exile, we are actually the agents of our God, who brings strength and salvation to all, through the humble entrance of Christ.
Where do you see the salvation of the Lord in your daily context?
How do you participate in the beautiful message of peace entrusted to you?
Who can you pray for as you read that God’s salvation is seen by all nations to the ends of the earth?
Gracious God, we invite you to come to us anew. We welcome you into our hearts and our worlds, the beauty and chaos, the hopes and disappointments, the peace and anxiety. Help us to be present with you that we might receive your gifts of grace and mercy that frees us from the lonely exile we find ourselves in. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thursday
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
In a group of his followers who were vying for power, and in the context of a culture that craved positional power, Jesus laid out a purpose that surprises us, but also invites us to a new way of living. As we welcome Him into our hearts and worlds this Advent, let us remember that He came to partner with us as we serve others and to be the One who ransoms us in our captivity.
What does power look like to you?
How do you use your power to serve others? What makes this easy? Difficult?
Where do you feel captive and in need of being ransomed by Christ?
Gracious God, we invite you to come to us anew. We welcome you into our hearts and our worlds, the beauty and chaos, the hopes and disappointments, the peace and anxiety. Help us to be present with you that we might receive your gifts of grace and mercy that frees us from the lonely exile we find ourselves in. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friday
See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
Jesus comes with strength to ransom and redeem us, but he also comes gently, nurture us like a Shepherd, to gather us to himself, and to lead us in ways that are gracious and merciful. As we receive his gentle strength and nurture, we can grow in capacity to extend those same gifts to others.
Where do you need to experience Emmanuel’s strength today?
Where do you need His gentle leading?
How can you extend God’s gentle, strong presence to someone today? What might that look like?
Gracious God, we invite you to come to us anew. We welcome you into our hearts and our worlds, the beauty and chaos, the hopes and disappointments, the peace and anxiety. Help us to be present with you that we might receive your gifts of grace and mercy that frees us from the lonely exile we find ourselves in. In Jesus’ name, Amen.