Day 21 of our 2018 Advent Contemplations.
Welcome to the Blue Ocean Advent devotional podcast. This is Day twenty-one: Saturday, Dec. 22. 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 joy will be accessible to people going through difficult periods—divorces, moves, job losses, job changes, etc. Let’s take 20 seconds of silence to pray and remember our loved ones.
[20 seconds of silence]
Our Scripture reading today comes from Isaiah 25:6-9. 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 Isaiah.
It begins:
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
We’ll close today by meditating on Psalm 51:12, which says:
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
Take a few moments now to meditate on the joy of both knowing and following Jesus.
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