December 16 Advent Devotional
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” – Isaiah 9:2
I don’t think we can find many of us that will disagree that 2020 has been a strange and difficult time to say the least. I know that in my lifetime I have never lived through a time such as this. Its been a year when even the healthy have been quarantined at times. Most of us have known someone who has struggled with the coronavirus and many of us have lost family or friends to this horrible virus. In the past months, we have seen social unrest, protests and riots that at times led to violence and destruction. As we seen in the news and as we scroll through social media, we watched our country become more and
more divided as we processed through another election year. Just as it is written in the 9th chapter of Isaiah, we seem to be a people that is walking through a land of darkness.
As we begin preparations to celebrate Christmas, let us lose sight of all the darkness of the past year and let us try and focus on the light of the good things that happened in the past year and for the positive things to come. As the Youth Director at Forest Lake, I have had to adjust with the current times and look for new ways to minister to our young people. We have worshiped, had Sunday School, and enjoyed fellowship in different ways. We have gathered in backyards, online through Zoom, spread out in the fellowship
hall, hung out in the church’s courtyard, and even watched movies in the parking lot. This new approach to youth ministry has allowed for more relationship building, deeper discussion and allowed us to focus more on how we saw God at work especially through difficult times.
Personally, during this crazy time, I have spent more meaningful time with my family, wrote more letters and notes to folks and focused more on sharing a little more kindness to all of my neighbors. I ask you to take a moment to look away from the darkness around you and reflect and give thanks to all the positive things that happened in your life over the past year. Let us all focus on the light in the darkness. That light being our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
Gracious and Holy God, We give you thanks that despite of all the darkness surrounding us, you give us light. Let us never forget that light in the midst of this chaos is the gift of your son Jesus Christ.
Submitted by:
