The first Advent candle represents hope.
As R. C. Sproul noted:
“But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”
For the next 23 days, latch on to the certainty of God’s promises.
What do you hope for?
We lit the first Advent candle. It represents hope. A bigger and better hope than the list above.
Don’t be befuddled by the glitz and glitter, the lure of the ads and the rush of the season. The next 24 days are all about hope.
I thank God for my blessings – EASY
I thank God for blessings bestowed on my loved ones – EASY
I thank God for blessings bestowed on people I don’t especially like (i.e, the whiners, the tricksters, people on the other end of the political spectrum, the guy who just cut me off in traffic) – HARDER
I thank God for my troubles – HARDEST
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (CEV)
Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.
Not just some of it–we’re supposed to be grateful for ALL of it!
It isn’t a competition, you know–God’s blessing is an unlimited resource.
“An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.”
A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)
Go ahead. Be thankful for the other guy’s blessings. It will be a blessing to you too.
Matthew 5:44-45 (CEV)
Love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people.
This week, make a conscious effort to be corporately grateful—to thank God for the blessings bestowed on others, especially on someone you are inclined to resent. “Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven.”
We hear the phrase “corporate greed.” What about corporate gratitude?
I make gratitude all about me (we all do). An attitude of gratitude is good. People who count their blessings are happier.
What happens when we count other’s blessings? Envy can push gratitude into the back seat. We notice the good things others have that we lack (funny, we are less likely to count their troubles that we lack).
Take heart! There’s a golden bowl in heaven with your name on it, full of prayers for you. What more could you desire?
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
No greater treasure.
In 1860, Andrew Murray was pastoring a South African church when revival broke through and people suddenly dropped to their knees in passionate prayer. Pastor Murray tried–unsuccessfully–to restore order. As the story goes, he kept thinking the prayers should be under his control. In the end, he got it right–as we see here:
“The great thing in prayer is to feel that we are putting our supplications into the bosom of omnipotent love.“
Put God in control. Send your requests straight into the bosom of love.
Continuing with yesterday’s theme of golden bowls:
Fill those bowls! Add a mercy-drop for the impatient guy who cuts you off in traffic. Add your blessings to the bowl of a troubled co-worker. Pour gallons of heartfelt agony over a wayward child. Sprinkle sweet aroma in the bowls of the new baby, the high school graduate, the new bride. Fill bowls for which you have no names—future offspring and their spouses, next year’s teacher, the boss of the job you don’t yet have. God knows who they are, your prayer will make it to the right bowl.
