Day 18 of our 2018 Advent Contemplations.
Welcome to the Blue Ocean Advent devotional podcast. This is Day eighteen: Wednesday, Dec. 19. I’m Emily, and I’ll be your guide today.
Let’s start with a moment of gratitude. I’ll give you 20 seconds of silence to think about something you’re thankful for, and to thank God for it. Let’s begin now.
[20 seconds of silence]
Now we’ll move on to our petitionary prayer. Today we’ll pray that the joy of the Lord will be evident in our faith community. Let’s take 20 seconds of silence to pray.
[20 seconds of silence]
Our Scripture reading today comes from Zephaniah 3:14-20. During the third week of Advent we focus on cultivating joy—remembering that we are surrounded by fellow travelers, trusting in God’s Love. Let’s listen for this in Zepheniah.
It begins:
Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”“I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you.At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they have suffered shame.At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
We’ll close today by meditating on Ecclesiastes 8:15, which says:
“And so I heartily recommended that you pursue joy, for the best a person can do under the sun is to enjoy life. Eat, drink, and be happy. If this is your attitude, joy will carry you through the toil every day that God gives you under the sun.”
Take a few moments now to meditate on how you might pursue joy.
Our Concluding Prayer:
Creator, almighty and everlasting, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus my Lord. Amen