The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, December 1, 2019 - First Sunday of Advent

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

SUNDAY, December 1, 2019 - First Sunday of Advent

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

WATCH! WAIT!

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

Opening Statement

It is with great irony that on the very week that we begin our Advent countdown to Jesus’ birth, Isaiah proclaims that we have no idea when the Prince of Peace will come. The deep longing for peace echoes as surely in our twenty-first–century world as it did in Isaiah’s time. Through our liturgy, we must communicate that traditional Christmas preparations are not enough. If we truly want to receive with joy the long-awaited Prince of Peace, the one who comes at an unexpected hour, we must accept the invitation to walk expectantly in the light of the Lord, each and every day of our lives.

First Sunday of Advent

Opening Prayer (Isaiah 2, Romans 13)

When, O God, will the day of peace come? When will the nations stream to your holy mountain and beat their swords into plowshares? When will the long night of war and hatred, give way to the dawn of love, righteousness, and joy? We are ready for the dawn, O God. Shine your light into our world, mighty One of peace. Illuminate the path, and give us the wisdom and courage to follow your light. We pray in the name of the Prince of Peace. Amen.

The Collect (Book of Common Prayers)

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

God of Amazing Surprises, we are rushing headlong into this season of buying, giving, greed, and struggle. We want to think of the holiday as delightful, but we have a tendency to make it a time of the highest stress. We over-schedule our time, overdraw our resources, ignore those moments in which we could just relax and have quiet time with our families and with you. We blame it on everything else but our own decision making. We speak of obligations, of the need to be constantly busy, of the pressure to purchase things to make people happy. The reality is that your love should be our foundation, the base from which we celebrate. Our watchfulness is not necessarily about what is to happen, but rather should be on the ways in which we order our lives, ways that block out your love and your healing power. Forgive us for our stubborn insistence on maintaining schedule rather than focusing on your love. Heal us. Strengthen us and make us watchful over our faith in you. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Words of Assurance

Watch! Wait! God is bringing to you new hope and peace. It is a gift, given especially for you--one that you cannot earn—it’s a gift. Praise be to the Giver of All Great Gifts, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer of the Day

Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection save us from the threatening dangers of our sins, and enlighten our walk in the way of your salvation, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

First Reading

Isaiah 2:1-5

(War transformed into peace)

The Future House of God
2:1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2  In days to come
     the mountain of the Lord’s house
   shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
     and shall be raised above the hills;
   all the nations shall stream to it.
3    Many peoples shall come and say,
   “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
     to the house of the God of Jacob;
   that he may teach us his ways
     and that we may walk in his paths.”
   For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
     and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4  He shall judge between the nations,
     and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
   they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
     and their spears into pruning hooks;
   nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
     neither shall they learn war any more.

Judgment Pronounced on Arrogance
5  O house of Jacob,
     come, let us walk
     in the light of the Lord!

Psalm 122

(Gladness in God’s house)

Song of Praise and Prayer for Jerusalem
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1  I was glad when they said to me,
     “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2  Our feet are standing
     within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3  Jerusalem—built as a city
     that is bound firmly together.
4  To it the tribes go up,
     the tribes of the Lord,
   as was decreed for Israel,
     to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5  For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
     the thrones of the house of David.

6  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
     “May they prosper who love you.
7  Peace be within your walls,
     and security within your towers.”
8  For the sake of my relatives and friends
     I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9  For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
     I will seek your good.

Second Reading

Romans 13:11-14

(Salvation is near; wake from sleep)

An Urgent Appeal
13:11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,and grant us your salvation. Alleluia. (Psalm 85:7)

The Gospel

Matthew 24:36-44

(The sudden coming of salvation)

The Necessity for Watchfulness
24:36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you that we are a family in Christ. Help us to share his love and legacy with everyone that we encounter this week. May we lavish Christ’s abounding goodness upon our families, friends and colleagues. Holy Spirit, come and equip us in our workplace, guide us in our school life, and inspire us in our neighbourhood. May we be your hands and feet to the needy, your words of affirmation to the oppressed and your arms of comfort to the lonely.

Thank you for choosing to use us to bring your kingdom here on earth.

Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, December 1, 2019 - First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

“First Sunday of Advent” The Sermon for SUNDAY, December 1, 2019 - First Sunday of Advent

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 24th chapter of Matthew, beginning with the 36th verse.

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

—Matthew 24:36-44 (NRSV)

All mighty God, we thank you for your word and the way that you in it revealed to us who you are and what you've done for us in Christ. Now as we open that word we pray that your spirit may be present, that all thoughts of worry or distraction may be removed and that the Spirit will allow us to hear your voice. And so, oh God, fill us with your spirit through the reading and proclamation of your word this day. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

“First Sunday of Advent”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Three In One who brings us into Paradise.

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, the start of the church year. The day when we begin the preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. We begin to light the candles, we sing the Advent hymns—and we wait—we prepare. Advent seeks to take us back to simpler times, without the frantic pace that is the signature of so many lives today.

We celebrate how Jesus comes to us in three ways. We celebrate the first coming at his birth some 2000 years ago, and we re-enact the birth in the pageant and the carols.

We celebrate his coming amongst us now—most notably in Word and Sacrament. We celebrate how Jesus comes among us in one another, in the least of our brothers and sisters, as we will read in the chapter that follows today’s text.

We celebrate Jesus’ Second coming, when he will come again to judge creation bringing in a time of peace and joy that is spoken of so eloquently in the reading from Isaiah today.

The end is coming, of that we can be certain. But when?

There are many people who want to know the time, and spend much energy in trying to discern the time. The resent wildfires and shootings in California and political turmoils in our nations around the world has brought about another rash of people only too ready to tell us that the time is here. This has been going on for centuries and will continue, no doubt. Most of these predictions are about Bad News. Earthquakes, fire and torment. The stuff of good movie effects but not so good theology. Certainly not good biblical study. The Book of Revelation takes great precedence in their work but the focus is on the Bad News, the signs and not on the Good News which John trumpets at the beginning of the Book, “The revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Millions have been made on the “Rapture” series of books sold in many Christian bookstores. They make much of the last times and trade on fear and anxiety. They may be an exciting read but certainly not a good biblical read. The authors would do well to read today’s text from Matthew. We will not know the time and to assume that we can is to presume to know more than the Son of God. To want to know is to stand alongside of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and long for the fruit of the tree that would allow them to know more than God meant them to know.

The desire to know the end is very much a part of our society. If we know when the end will come, we can do pretty much as we like now. If we know the end, then we can make a final rush preparation and do as we like now. Retirement and pensions funds gives the certainty that the end for many of us will hold off at least until we are 80. The problem is, we do not know which of us will live to see today’s sunset.

Today’s text from Matthew speaks of the ordinariness of his coming. People will be eating and drinking, getting married, baptizing their children, working in the field.

Martin Luther is supposed to have said that if he knew the end of the world was coming tomorrow, he would plant an apple tree this afternoon. Luther was not given to speculation of the end times. He focused rather on the purpose of the world which God intends for the present time. What may happen in the future does not excuse you from what God requires of you here and now.

If we know the end is near, the temptation is to hole up in a bomb shelter, or armed fortress in the mountains and wait. We would create a fortress mentality of us against them. Instead we are to live with the uncertainty. An uncertainty of what will happen but within a certainty that Jesus Christ is in the midst of it with us.

When we stop trying to figure out when, we have energy to listen to what God is calling us to do today. Advent preparation is about removing the noise from our lives so that we can hear and see the coming of Jesus Christ among us today. Matthew spells it our very clearly in the 25th Chapter which follows. In the Judgment Scene those condemned say to Jesus, “If we had only known that it was you in the poor and the hungry, of course we would have fed you!” Jesus comes to us today in the least of our sisters and brothers. Advent is a time to watch lest we miss his coming. If we ignore and trample our neighbors today in our eagerness to be religiously prepared to welcome Jesus tomorrow when he returns from heaven, we will not be prepared at all.

We are to live in constant readiness, attentive to Jesus who gives us hope for today and for tomorrow. If this were your last day on earth, how would you spend it? If you aren’t, why not?

Worship in our local communities and congregations has been very much in my mind this past week. Paul tells us not to neglect being together. We prepare each time we come together the promises and the hopes that carry us through the difficult time of death.

“You are the treasured people of God”

“This is a foretaste of the feast to come”

“The Lord bless you and keep you”

“The peace of the Lord be with you.” And so many more.

We need to make time for getting together in our local churches, for worship. We need to take our time together seriously, but in hope and joy. Our hope is in the one who came, who is among us, and who will come again. We are to heighten our awareness of his coming. We are to “Live in the light of that day even before it appears,” as Paul said today in Romans. Yes, we are to live with uncertainty, but an uncertainty about those things that really do not matter, if our certainty is in the one who is with us and will continue to be with us, Jesus Christ.

Advent is a time to refocus and regroup. Christ came as a baby and we celebrate. Christ will come again, of that we are assured. Christ comes into our midst today and that is where the living is today. And so we begin Advent—preparing for the revelation—that is, the full disclosure—of Jesus in the joy and sorrow, the laughter and the tears, the comedy and the tragedies of our daily lives here and now.

This Advent, Lord, come to the manger of my heart. Fill me with Your presence from the very start. As I prepare for the holidays and gifts to be given, remind me of the gift You gave when You sent Your Son from Heaven. The first Christmas gift, it was the greatest gift ever. You came as a baby born in a manger. Wrapped like the gifts I find under my tree, waiting to be opened, to reveal Your love to me. Restore to me the wonder that came with Jesus' birth, when He left the riches of Heaven and wrapped Himself in rags of earth. Immanuel, God with us, Your presence came that night. And angels announced, "Into your darkness, God brings His Light." "Do not be afraid," they said, to shepherds in the field. Speak to my heart today, Lord, and help me to yield. Make me like those shepherd boys, obedient to Your call. Setting distractions and worries aside, to You I surrender them all. Surround me with Your presence, Lord, I long to hear Your voice. Clear my mind of countless concerns and all the holiday noise. Slow me down this Christmas, let me not be in a rush. In the midst of parties and planning, I want to feel Your hush. This Christmas, Jesus, come to the manger of my heart. Invade my soul like Bethlehem, bringing peace to every part. Dwell within and around me, as I unwrap Your presence each day. Keep me close to You, Lord. It's in Your wonderful Name I pray. Amen.

Seeking God?

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Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)® Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Sermon contributed by Rev. Roger Haugen.
Jesus comes to us in three ways—three times.  At his birth, at the present, at his second coming.  It is now that is of present concern to us.

The Daily Prayer for SUNDAY, December 1, 2019

The Daily Prayer

SUNDAY, December 1, 2019

Charles de Foucauld (1858 — 1916)

While working in the North African desert after a dishonorable discharge from military service, Charles de Foucauld was impressed by the piety of Muslims and experienced a dramatic recovery of his Christian faith. He spent a number of years in a Trappist monastery before hearing the call to a new monasticism among the working poor. “I no longer want a monastery which is too secure,” he wrote. “I want a small monastery, like the house of a poor workman who is not sure if tomorrow he will find work and bread, who with all his being shares the suffering of the world.” Though Foucauld died in solitude, the Little Brothers and Sisters of Jesus, inspired by his life and witness, have started communities of service among the poor and outcast around the world.

Charles de Foucauld prayed, “Father, I abandon myself into your hands, do with me what you will. For whatever you may do, I thank you. I am ready for all, I accept all, let only your will be done in me, as in all your creatures.”

Sometimes, Lord, it takes witnessing another person’s commitment for us to realize our own lack of faith. Open our eyes to learn, even from strangers who inhabit other faith traditions, what it means to be committed to you. Amen.

Verse of the Day SUNDAY, December 1, 2019

John 1:1-2, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Read all of John 1

Listen to John 1

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un dia a la Vez - Domingo 01 de Diciembre de 2019

Oración por restitución

A ti clamo, oh Dios, porque tú me respondes; inclina a mí tu oído, y escucha mi oración.

—Salmo 17:6 (NVI)

Padre santo, ¡qué bonito es poderte buscar cuando te necesitamos y saber que escuchas nuestras peticiones!

Bendecimos tu santo nombre y te reconocemos como el Dios Todopoderoso.

Ahora, te pedimos perdón por nuestros pecados y por las malas decisiones que tomamos. También por las promesas que te hicimos y nunca cumplimos. Por habernos dejado llevar por las cosas del mundo y no darte el primer lugar. Te agradecemos por tu ternura y amor, porque nos guardaste en medio de nuestra necedad.

Señor, este año está a punto de terminar. Hemos llegado al último mes y queremos aprovecharlo al máximo. Por eso, te pedimos que pongas en nosotros tanto el querer como el hacer y podamos cumplir con esas metas que nos habíamos trazado desde el año pasado.

Dios mío, en ti confía mi corazón, en ti espera mi alma y mi ser descansa en ti, así que puedo ser feliz porque sé que estás obrando en mi vida y estás mostrando tu perfecta voluntad.

Te amo y bendigo.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por restitución

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Sunday, December 1, 2019

SHARE THE GOOD NEWS

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

—Acts 2:41 (NIV)

Eight men sat in a small dimly lit room in a rural Chinese village home. Seven were preachers and their eyes were glued to the Bible held by the eighth man. It was a leather-bound zippered Bible with gold-edged trim on the pages.

The western visitor suddenly became aware that the seven men were staring intently at his Bible. One of them generated enough courage to say, “What a beautiful Bible. May I look at it for a moment?”

“Of course,” he replied. The Bible was gently handed from person to person as though it was made of eggshells. They asked how much it cost. And their faces fell when they learned it was the equivalent of twenty dollars.

Then the visitor received an inspiration. He decided to make this a personal ministry project. The qualification for receiving one of these Chinese Bibles should be so high that these leaders would be inspired to greater achievement. Yet, at the same time ensure that he would not need to provide a great number.

He told them, “If a person is mightily used by God, then I will bring him one of these Bibles.”

“What do you mean mightily used of God?” the preachers queried eagerly.

Thinking fast he replied, “Those who have led at least 10,000 people to the Lord and discipled another 10,000.”

To his astonishment the preachers burst out laughing. They said, “Oh, this is too easy. There are five of us here who can now qualify for your zippered gold-edged Bible, and we know ten more.”

After his trip the visitor chuckled, “I’m bankrupt.” But more seriously he added, “I’ve been working in China with house church leaders for many years. But one thing never changes...I am literally taken by surprise during each visit at how fast the church is growing.”

RESPONSE: Today I will take more seriously my responsibility in sharing the Good News of Jesus and fulfill the church’s function of evangelism.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that Your church is continuing to grow quickly in China. May that be a reality in my country as well.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

LHM Daily Devotions - December 1, 2019 - BIG AND TINY

"BIG AND TINY"

Dec. 1, 2019

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

—John 1:1-3 (ESV)

Advent for us starts where it always has—with the One who created everything. It starts with God the Father, who made us and loved us—and with God the Son, who came to be our Savior Jesus. And it starts with the Holy Spirit, who gives us faith and life in Jesus.

But it also starts with you in all of your tininess—somebody sitting in a comfortable chair reading in the lamplight; a parent putting the little ones to bed with a prayer and a story about Jesus; a driver with your eyes on the road, watching out for hazards while the back of your mind is preoccupied with work or errands. You are a single speck of human life among billions of others on a troubled planet in an ordinary galaxy of the immense universe. And yet Advent is about you, because you are the reason Jesus came.

You matter to Him. God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God—why should He care about you? And yet He does. He has told you so: "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-8).

So here we are, in Advent—watching and praying and marveling as we see how the great God Himself, the Most High, comes down to us as a tiny baby Himself, dependent on us for nursing and diaper-changing and holding and singing to sleep. And we rejoice, because we too depend on Him who grew up and suffered and died and rose again for our sakes. Because He loves us, our tiny lives have become infinitely meaningful. He has made us the adopted children of God Himself.

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for sending Your Son. Thank You that we matter to You. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Does the size of the universe and your place in it ever trouble you? Why or why not?
• How can you be sure that you are important to God?
• Who is there in your life who needs to know that they matter, too—both to you and to God?

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Does the size of the universe and your place in it ever trouble you?

CPTLN devocional del 01 de Diciembre de 2019 - Grande y pequeño

ADVIENTO—NAVIDAD 2019

Grande y pequeño

01 de Diciembre de 2019

En el principio ya existía la Palabra. La Palabra estaba con Dios, y Dios mismo era la Palabra. La Palabra estaba en el principio con Dios. Por ella fueron hechas todas las cosas. Sin ella nada fue hecho de lo que ha sido hecho.

—Juan 1:1-3 (RVC)

Para nosotros el Adviento comienza donde siempre lo ha hecho: con Aquel que creó todo. Comienza con Dios Padre, que nos hizo y nos amó, y con Dios Hijo, que vino a ser nuestro Salvador Jesús. Y comienza con el Espíritu Santo, que nos da fe y vida en Jesús.

Pero también comienza contigo en toda tu pequeñez. Comienza contigo, que estás cómodamente leyendo a la luz de la lámpara; contigo, un padre que acuesta a sus hijos luego de leerles una historia sobre Jesús y de rezar con ellos y contigo, que estás conduciendo con los ojos fijos en la carretera, atento a los peligros, mientras piensas en tu trabajo. El Adviento se trata de ti... porque tú eres la razón por la cual Jesús vino.

Tú le importas a Dios. Dios de Dios, luz de luz, verdadero Dios de verdadero Dios. ¿Por qué habría de preocuparse por ti? Sin embargo, lo hace. Él te lo ha dicho: "¿Acaso no se venden cinco pajarillos por un par de monedas? Sin embargo, Dios no se olvida de ninguno de ellos. Lo mismo pasa con ustedes, pues hasta los cabellos de su cabeza están todos contados. Así que no teman, pues ustedes valen más que muchos pajarillos" (Lucas 12:6-8).

Así que aquí estamos en el Adviento esperando maravillados a ver cómo el gran Dios, el Altísimo, se nos va a presentar como un pequeño bebé que dependerá de nosotros para ser amamantado, para que se le cambien los pañales, para que se lo sostenga, para dormir. Y nos regocijamos, porque nosotros también dependemos de aquel que creció, sufrió, murió y resucitó por nuestro bien. Gracias a que él nos ama, nuestras vidas insignificantes se han vuelto infinitamente significativas. Jesús nos ha hecho hijos adoptivos de Dios.

ORACIÓN: Padre querido, gracias por enviarnos a tu Hijo. Gracias porque somos importantes para ti. En el nombre de Jesús. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

• ¿Cómo puedes estar seguro de que eres importante para Dios?
• ¿Quiénes en tu vida necesitan saber que son importantes para Dios y para ti?

© Copyright 2019 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡Utilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.
¿Cómo puedes estar seguro de que eres importante para Dios?

Unser Täglich Brot - Gibt es Hoffnung?

Gibt es Hoffnung?

Lesung: Römer 8,31-39 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: Hesekiel 40-41; 2. Petrus 3

MP3 herunterladen

Wenn Gott für uns ist, wer kann da noch gegen uns sein? Römer 8,31

Edward Payson (1783-1827) hatte ein sehr schweres Leben. Der Tod seines jüngeren Bruders erschütterte ihn zutiefst. Er kämpfte mit einer bipolaren Störung und litt tagelang unter heftigen Migräneanfällen. Als würde das nicht genügen, führte ein Sturz von einem Pferd zur Lähmung seines Arms und er wäre beinahe an Tuberkulose gestorben! Überraschend ist jedoch, dass seine Reaktion darauf nicht Verzweiflung und Hoffnungslosigkeit war. Seine Freunde sagten, dass Edwards Freude vor seinem Tod intensiv war. Wie konnte das sein?

In seinem Brief an die Christen in Rom, bringt der Apostel Paulus seine absolute Zuversicht hinsichtlich der Wirklichkeit der Liebe Gottes zum Ausdruck, egal, wie die Umstände aussehen. Er stellte kühn die Frage: „Wenn Gott für uns ist, wer kann da noch gegen uns sein?“ (Römer 8,31). Wenn Gott uns seinen eigenen Sohn schenkte, Jesus, um uns zu retten, dann wird er uns auch alles geben, was wir brauchen, um dieses Leben gut zu vollenden. Paulus nennt sieben scheinbar unerträgliche Situationen, denen er selbst begegnete: Schwierigkeiten, Leid, Verfolgung, Hungersnot, Nacktheit, Gefahr und das Schwert (V. 35). Er sagt an keiner Stelle, dass Christi Liebe schlimme Dinge von uns fernhält. Aber Paulus sagte: „Trotz all dem tragen wir einen überwältigenden Sieg davon durch Christus, der uns geliebt hat“ (V. 37).

In den Unsicherheiten dieser Welt, kann man Gott ganz und gar vertrauen und wissen, dass nichts, aber auch gar nichts, „uns von der Liebe Gottes trennen kann, die in Christus Jesus, unserem Herrn, erschienen ist“ (V. 39).

Wie ist deine typische Reaktion, wenn du vor scheinbar hoffnungslosen Situationen stehst? An welcher Verheißung Gottes kannst du dich festhalten und wissen, dass er treu ist, diese auch zu erfüllen?

Du treuer, himmlischer Vater, danke für deine Liebe für mich. Danke für das Opfer deines Sohnes, damit ich ewiges Leben haben darf. Danke, dass egal, wie grau das Leben gerade sein mag, ich deinen Verheißungen vertrauen darf.

Von Estera Pirosca Escobar

© 2019 Unser Täglich Brot
Edward Payson (1783-1827) hatte ein sehr schweres Leben. Der Tod seines jüngeren Bruders erschütterte ihn zutiefst. Er kämpfte mit einer bipolaren Störung und litt tagelang unter heftigen Migräneanfällen. Als würde das nicht genügen, führte ein Sturz von einem Pferd zur Lähmung seines Arms und er wäre beinahe an Tuberkulose gestorben!