Advent Devotion from Society of St. Andrew "Advent Devotions 2016" of Big Island, Virginia, United States for Wednesday, December 14, 2016 "Let Faith be Your Parachute"
Scripture: Luke 12:7 (New Living Translation Preferred)
Luke 12:7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.(New Living Translation Preferred)
Luke 12:7 Why, every hair on your head has been counted! Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------When my youngest son was small, he wanted to be a police officer. One day, he came up to me terribly upset and said, “Mommy, I want to be a policeman, but I am afraid of getting shot by a bad man, and then I will die.” God’s response through me to him was, “Son, God is always with you, and you will not die and go to heaven until God is ready for you. So don’t worry.” After that day, he never mentioned it again.
When he grew and became a man, he decided to join the Army. He called me and said, “Mom, I have decided what I want to do.” I said, “Great, Jim! What is it?” He proudly told me he was the newest member of the 82nd Airborne, stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. “You know, Mom, I get to jump out of airplanes!” I don’t remember what I said, but Jim’s response was, “Don’t worry, Mom… I get hazard pay!”
While in the Army, he served one tour in Iraq and another in Afghanistan, making countless jumps. Many prayers were lifted on his behalf and always, God’s message was, “Do not be afraid.” My son placed his well-being and his safety in the knowledge that God is in control. God protected my son and brought him home. He still faces struggles and uncertainty, but no matter what, God has “got his back.”
Prayer: Father, I pray that we may all have the faith to drive out fear in every avenue of our life. Help us be witnesses, through our words and our lives, to those who do not have the confidence to lay their burdens at your feet. Amen.[Barbara Lipford, Bedford, Virginia]
Psalm 30:
Psalm 30:
When he grew and became a man, he decided to join the Army. He called me and said, “Mom, I have decided what I want to do.” I said, “Great, Jim! What is it?” He proudly told me he was the newest member of the 82nd Airborne, stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. “You know, Mom, I get to jump out of airplanes!” I don’t remember what I said, but Jim’s response was, “Don’t worry, Mom… I get hazard pay!”
While in the Army, he served one tour in Iraq and another in Afghanistan, making countless jumps. Many prayers were lifted on his behalf and always, God’s message was, “Do not be afraid.” My son placed his well-being and his safety in the knowledge that God is in control. God protected my son and brought him home. He still faces struggles and uncertainty, but no matter what, God has “got his back.”
Prayer: Father, I pray that we may all have the faith to drive out fear in every avenue of our life. Help us be witnesses, through our words and our lives, to those who do not have the confidence to lay their burdens at your feet. Amen.[Barbara Lipford, Bedford, Virginia]
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Advent Devotion from Society of St. Andrew "Advent Devotions 2016" of Big Island, Virginia, United States for Tuesday, December 13, 2016 "It Comes in the Morning"
Scripture: Psalm 30:5 (CEB Preferred)Psalm 30:
5 His anger lasts for only a second,
but his favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may stay all night,
but by morning, joy!
(CEB Preferred)Psalm 30:
5 (4) Sing praise to Adonai, you faithful of his;
and give thanks on recalling his holiness.
6 (5) For his anger is momentary,
but his favor lasts a lifetime.
Tears may linger for the night,
but with dawn come cries of joy.
(CJB)
-------What opposites we see in the Advent story! There is great, but scaring news. Long-awaited pregnancies; unexpected, difficult-to-explain pregnancies. There is obvious oppression and messages of peace on earth. With all this fear, we keep hearing “Do not be afraid.”
Have you ever had a Genesis 32:22-32 night? When have you wrestled with a life-changing potential that kept you up all night? I am talking about a decision that will have significant implications for you, your family, persons you care about. In the dark of night, we awaken and, like Jacob, we wrestle with all the variables. When we can’t solve this, we finally stop and listen to God. And surrounded by God’s grace, the path forward becomes clear. For me, peace comes with the morning light; all the “what if” questions are no longer in play.
Look at all the players in the Advent stories: like you and me, they each had hard choices, each was placed in a situation they could never have predicted or imagined. They might have responded, “I did not sign up for this…” But, instead, they felt the spirit of God, sometimes in that wrestling, sometimes from an angel who told them—and who tells us, “Do not be afraid.”
Prayer: Dear God, open our ears and hearts to your word of peace. Peace for the world, peace for all, peace without fear. Amen.[Gil Hanke, Antioch, Tennessee]
The Society of St. Andrew is a national nonprofit hunger-relief ministry that rescues 25-30 million pounds of fresh, nutritious, excess produce each year that would otherwise go to waste for various marketing reasons. This food is then distributed to critical feeding agencies across the country at no cost to the agencies or the hungry people they serve. More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs - Gleaning Network, Potato & Produce Project, and Harvest of Hope is available online at EndHunger.org.
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Have you ever had a Genesis 32:22-32 night? When have you wrestled with a life-changing potential that kept you up all night? I am talking about a decision that will have significant implications for you, your family, persons you care about. In the dark of night, we awaken and, like Jacob, we wrestle with all the variables. When we can’t solve this, we finally stop and listen to God. And surrounded by God’s grace, the path forward becomes clear. For me, peace comes with the morning light; all the “what if” questions are no longer in play.
Look at all the players in the Advent stories: like you and me, they each had hard choices, each was placed in a situation they could never have predicted or imagined. They might have responded, “I did not sign up for this…” But, instead, they felt the spirit of God, sometimes in that wrestling, sometimes from an angel who told them—and who tells us, “Do not be afraid.”
Prayer: Dear God, open our ears and hearts to your word of peace. Peace for the world, peace for all, peace without fear. Amen.[Gil Hanke, Antioch, Tennessee]
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The Society of St. Andrew is a national nonprofit hunger-relief ministry that rescues 25-30 million pounds of fresh, nutritious, excess produce each year that would otherwise go to waste for various marketing reasons. This food is then distributed to critical feeding agencies across the country at no cost to the agencies or the hungry people they serve. More information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger-relief programs - Gleaning Network, Potato & Produce Project, and Harvest of Hope is available online at EndHunger.org.FacebookTwitterPinterestsosapr@endhunger.org
3383 Sweet Hollow Road
Big Island, Virginia 24526, United States
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