Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Scripture: Psalm 126
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with shouts of joy;
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
Like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
Shall come home with shouts of joy,
Carrying their sheaves.
Devotion:
This week, our Advent focus is on JOY. We will finally get to light the pink candle, which is different because it represents our joy. And joy, true joy, stands out in a beautiful way from all the other wonderful things the Christ child brings. Joy is something that we feel, something we know from the very top of our heads to the tips of our toes, something that warms and changes us. Joy is the security of belly laughs, the exhale in a sigh of relief, the warmth of contentment. It is special, and it is perhaps the experience we most associate with the Christmas season. The Psalm this week shows us what the Israelites believed about Joy. The Psalmist recalls the faithfulness of God in the past, the times that they were filled with gratitude for God’s gifts and goodness, the times that God turned their challenges into experiences of joy. I’m new to Cross Roads, and one of my first times in the building I had the great experience of seeing pictures of the different Cross Roads buildings that have existed over the years, and getting a brief overview of Cross Roads’ long and beautiful history. I love to think about the people who gathered 50 years ago, 100 years ago, 150 years ago, to worship God together, to set a legacy for us to follow, to be the family of God in that time and place. Like the Israelites, we can experience joy by remembering the faithfulness God has shown to our church family in the past and looking forward to God’s promises of joy in the future.
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with shouts of joy;
Then it was said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
Like the watercourses in the Negeb.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
Shall come home with shouts of joy,
Carrying their sheaves.
Devotion:
This week, our Advent focus is on JOY. We will finally get to light the pink candle, which is different because it represents our joy. And joy, true joy, stands out in a beautiful way from all the other wonderful things the Christ child brings. Joy is something that we feel, something we know from the very top of our heads to the tips of our toes, something that warms and changes us. Joy is the security of belly laughs, the exhale in a sigh of relief, the warmth of contentment. It is special, and it is perhaps the experience we most associate with the Christmas season. The Psalm this week shows us what the Israelites believed about Joy. The Psalmist recalls the faithfulness of God in the past, the times that they were filled with gratitude for God’s gifts and goodness, the times that God turned their challenges into experiences of joy. I’m new to Cross Roads, and one of my first times in the building I had the great experience of seeing pictures of the different Cross Roads buildings that have existed over the years, and getting a brief overview of Cross Roads’ long and beautiful history. I love to think about the people who gathered 50 years ago, 100 years ago, 150 years ago, to worship God together, to set a legacy for us to follow, to be the family of God in that time and place. Like the Israelites, we can experience joy by remembering the faithfulness God has shown to our church family in the past and looking forward to God’s promises of joy in the future.