 Prepare to Listen. As you light the candles, including the white one, proclaim: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!
Prayerfully Read Luke 2:8-20 [Try reading this well-known story with a beginner’s mind; as if for the first time.] 8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’ 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Prayerfully Wonder Think of the shepherds minding their sheep. Perhaps they were discussing the brutal reign of Rome and wondering if Emperor Augustus would ever be removed. Suddenly, their world was turned upside down as an angel announced, “good news of great joy for all the people.” It was the news they’d longed for, but never imagined it would come in their life time. Think of Emperor Augustus and what he’d do if he heard the shepherds proclaim the angel’s revolutionary message to Mary and Joseph: “to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” Augustus, who considered himself king and savior, would put the infant to death, and maybe even the shepherds. Imagine those in the stable marveling that this humble, poor baby would one day right all wrongs, remove the cruel Romans and their Emperor, reverse the world order, give justice to the poor, the alien, the widow, the orphan. This infant, born into poverty, who’d live his entire earthly life in poverty, was God’s Messiah, the Savior of the world. In faith they worshipped him in that stable. I wonder if we would have worshiped a poor, helpless baby. Jesus comes to rule in a way that is radically different to anything we know or experience or even expect. We’re accustomed to wealthy charismatic leaders who promise to save us and make our nation great, not poverty-stricken infant saviors. The shepherds believed in this tiny baby and went back to work “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.” But Mary treasured and pondered their words in her heart. Prayerfully Reflect What new truths did you see in this story today? What will you treasure and ponder in your heart today? Respond in Prayer Lord, keep this story of your lowly birth always fresh so that I worship you for who you are, who you came to be—the one who sides with the outcasts, the humble, the poor. Show me how to live your way today. Amen. Live Obediently. Go forth glorifying God for all you’ve seen and heard about Jesus. May you and you loved ones have a blessed Christmas celebrating Christ’s 1st Advent as you wait in wait for his 2nd Advent. If you have found meaning and appreciated reading and learning about Jesus’ family tree and would like to financially support my ministry of devotional writing, you can do so through PayPal or contact me for an alternate format. Thank you.
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 … Mary, of whom Jesus was born.
Prepare to Listen. If you’re using the Advent wreath, light all the candles, including the white one, the symbol of Jesus, the light of the world. Pray: May my spirit rejoice in God my Savior. Prayerfully Read Luke 1:46-55 46And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’ Prayerfully Wonder When Elizabeth joyfully greeted her as “the mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43), Mary responded with this song of praise which, as N. T. Wright notes, is all about God and all about revolution.[1] First, it’s all about God. Mary sang of what God has done, not will do, even though it was still future. She was so confident that God would fulfill the promises God made to her people long ago, she proclaimed them as if they had already happened. Second, her song is all about revolution. It’s charged with lines that should put fear into the hearts of the rich and powerful because her words proclaim God’s final judgment “in which there is a complete reversal of fortunes: the powerful and rich will exchange places with the powerless and poor.”[2] It’s an in-your-face warning to the oppressive rulers under which Mary lived. Perhaps the most dangerous lines, the ones most likely to anger the political and religious rulers, are: “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty” (vv. 52-53). For those of us in the first world these words are hard to hear. Some today might call Mary’s emphasis on social justice for the poor a heretical ideology. They’d be wrong. “Almost every word,” writes Wright, “is a biblical quotation.”[1] Mary learned her social justice theology from her scriptures (our Old Testament), in which she was steeped. What Mary didn’t know then was that her words in this song would be echoed in the life and teaching of her son, Jesus. He confronted the religious and political power-brokers, he made room for the poor and marginalized, he warned the rich not to trust in their wealth and power, he promised God’s kingdom to the poor, not the rich. Mary was a poor, marginalized, powerless woman and she carried her Savior in her womb, the One who would give her justice. No wonder she magnified the Lord. Prayerfully Reflect Write your own song of praise, beginning with, magnify the Lord with me. What might be your first line. Live with that today. Respond in Prayer Thank you Lord, that you came to stand on the side of the poor and powerless, confronting the rich and powerful. Have mercy on them all today. Amen. Live Obediently. Magnify the Lord today. [1] Wright, N.T. Luke For Everyone. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. 2004, p. 14. [2] Craddock, Fred B. Luke. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press. 1990, p. 30.  … Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Prepare to Listen. Light all 4 colored candles. Let this prayer prepare you to listen: Save us, O God of our salvation, that we may give thanks to your holy name. Prayerfully Read Matthew 1:18-25 18Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ 22All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. Prayerfully Wonder “Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way.” It’s a promising beginning, but then little about that birth. Instead, we read about Joseph, whom, we’re told, was a righteous man. Today I think many of us have a negative idea about ‘righteous people.’ The ones we know demand rigid adherence to their standards of morality, and punish or threaten violence to the disobedient. But that’s not the biblical understanding of righteous. And that's not how Joseph behaved, even though he assumed Mary had sinned against him. Because he was righteous, he acted with compassion not condemnation. He was “unwilling to expose her to public disgrace [therefore], planned to dismiss her quietly.” The angel changed his mind, telling him to do two things. One, take Mary to be his wife “for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit,” not unfaithfulness. Two, “you are to name him Jesus.” The name Jesus was common, the Greek version of the Hebrew Joshua. It means the one who saves, and hints at what Jesus would do. Like Joshua of old, he’ll lead us into the ‘promised land,’ the Kingdom of God. When we say Jesus, we’re calling on him to save us and lead us to his Kingdom. Naming Mary’s son meant Joseph was to accept and raise him as his own. He obeyed and the climax of Jesus’ birth story is: “and he named him Jesus.” A righteous man who acted with compassion and named the Son of God, Jesus. Prayerfully Reflect Wonder about the home Jesus was born into and the influence of a father who is characterized by one word: righteous. Respond in Prayer Lord Jesus, forgive me when I think I’m righteous by condemning those who don’t adhere to my standards of morality. Help me act with compassion, like Joseph. Amen. Live Obediently. Like Joseph, be a righteous, compassionate person.  … and Amos the father of Josiah …
Prepare to Listen. Light all 4 colored candles. Let this prayer prepare you to listen: Save us, O God of our salvation, that we may give thanks to your holy name. Prayerfully Read 2 Chronicles 34:1-3, 29-33 1Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2He did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his ancestor David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still a boy, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the sacred poles, and the carved and the cast images…. 29Then the king sent word and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30The king went up to the house of the LORD, with all the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites, all the people both great and small; he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. 31The king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin pledge themselves to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted according to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. 33Josiah took away all the abominations from all the territory that belonged to the people of Israel, and made all who were in Israel worship the LORD their God. All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD the God of their ancestors. Prayerfully Wonder When he was 16 Josiah began to seek the God of David. Four years later he purged the land of the idolatry Manasseh, his grandfather had established. He ordered and funded the cleaning and restoration of the temple, clearing out Manasseh's idolatry. And that’s when a portion of the Law of Moses was found. It was read to Josiah, who was shocked to discover how far from God’s ways they’d all strayed. He called an assembly of all the people at the temple and “he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD.” Before calling for the people to repent, Josiah set the nation an example of godly behavior, publicly making his own commitment to God, promising to keep God’s Law “with all his heart and all his soul.” Did he perhaps read the portion of the law that says, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might”? Or, the bit about keeping these words of God in their hearts, reciting them often to their children?[1] We don’t know what he read, but we do know Josiah modelled a life of commitment to obedience to the LORD. It seems, the people copied him, as the Chronicler noted, “All his days they did not turn away from following the LORD the God of their ancestors.” He’s an ancestor of Jesus who sets us all a good example. Prayerfully Reflect If you don’t know the story of this holy king, take time to read all of 1 Chronicles 34 and learn from his example of faith obedience. Respond in Prayer Lord, help me to live more like Josiah, seeking you and your ways as revealed in Scripture and committing to them with all my heart and soul, becoming an example for others. Amen. Live Obediently. Obey God with all your heart and all your soul. [1] Deuteronomy 6:5-8.  … Hezekiah the father of Manasseh.
Prepare to Listen. Light all 4 colored candles. Let this prayer prepare you to listen: Save us, O God of our salvation, that we may give thanks to your holy name. Prayerfully Read 2 Chronicles 33:10-13 and Prayer of Manasseh vv 11-15 10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they gave no heed. 11Therefore the LORD brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh captive in manacles, bound him with fetters, and brought him to Babylon. 12While he was in distress he entreated the favour of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13He prayed to him, and God received his entreaty, heard his plea, and restored him again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD indeed was God. Prayer of Manasseh (found in the Apocrypha,[1] and not read by most Protestant groups). 11And now I bend the knee of my heart, imploring you for your kindness. 12I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my transgressions. 13I earnestly implore you, forgive me, O Lord, forgive me! Do not destroy me with my transgressions! Do not be angry with me for ever or store up evil for me; do not condemn me to the depths of the earth. For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, 14and in me you will manifest your goodness; for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy, 15and I will praise you continually all the days of my life. For all the host of heaven sings your praise, and yours is the glory for ever. Amen. Prayerfully Wonder Manasseh was a despicable character, not the sort of ancestor we’d expect on Jesus’ family tree. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, reversing all the good his father Hezekiah had done. According to the writers of 2 Kings, he “shed very much innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he caused Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD” (21:16). He’s the kind of person we might presume was beyond redemption and wouldn’t expect to see in heaven and hope we don’t. But here’s the thing, God’s grace and mercy are far-reaching. It doesn’t matter how bad the person is, how far from God’s ways, God’s mercy reaches them. The hymn writer claimed, “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Like the wideness of the sea; There’s a kindness in God’s justice, Which is more than liberty.”[2] I think Manasseh would identify with this hymn. He was punished and sent to Babylon as a captive. There he repented and sought the LORD God of his ancestors in a long prayer for mercy. It’s not in our Protestant Bible, but is in the apocrypha. The prayer concludes, “And now, I bend the knee of my heart, imploring you for your kindness.” He knows God’s kindness is undeserved, yet dares to plead for it: “For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, and in me you will manifest your goodness.” He knew God is a sucker for the repentant and ready to reveal his goodness in her/him. And he was right, as the Chronicler states, “God received his entreaty, heard his plea, and restored him again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.” We can expect to meet Manasseh and others like him one day, seated at Christ’s banquet table. There’s no one beyond God’s mercy, no matter how evil. We can never give up on anyone, including ourselves. Prayerfully Reflect What does it mean to you to bend the knee of your heart? Practice it today. Respond in Prayer Your mercy, O Lord, is indeed far-reaching, your power to bring the worst to repentance is astounding. Help me to always remember that no one, no matter how despicable, is beyond your power to save and to treat them with mercy and grace. Amen. Live Obediently. Bend the knee of your heart. [1] These book are called apocryphal not because they’re untrue, but because they weren’t part of the original Hebrew Bible and thus were rejected by the Protestant church. [2] Frederick W. Faber.  … Ahaz the father of Hezekiah
Prepare to Listen. Light all 4 colored candles. Let this prayer prepare you to listen: Save us, O God of our salvation, that we may give thanks to your holy name. Prayerfully Read 2 Kings 18:1-8 In the third year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, Hezekiah son of King Ahaz of Judah began to reign. 2He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi daughter of Zechariah. 3He did what was right in the sight of the LORD just as his ancestor David had done. 4He removed the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the sacred pole. He broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it was called Nehushtan. 5He trusted in the LORD the God of Israel; so that there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah after him, or among those who were before him. 6For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following him but kept the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses. 7The LORD was with him; wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. 8He attacked the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watch-tower to fortified city. Prayerfully Wonder Hezekiah is one of only 8 kings of whom it is said, “He did what was right in the sight of the LORD.” He took to heart God’s command, “you shall have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:2) and thus he removed all evidence of idol worship in the land, including destroying Moses’ bronze serpent, because it had become an idol the people worshipped.[1] However, eliminating idolatry, despite its very visible and tangible results, wasn’t enough. A focus only on external and visible never is. And that’s not what earned Hezekiah the epitaph, ‘he did what was right.’ It was his personal relationship with God, his heart for God that mattered most. And Hezekiah had his heart in the right place. He “trusted in the LORD the God of Israel.” He trusted that God would keep faith with him and always deliver him. Trusting God, as he probably knew, is always a risky business. We never know where we’ll end up, or who will still be our friends. But we know we have no other choice and so we take the plunge of trust, as Hezekiah did. He was committed to holding ‘fast to the LORD,’ to a closeness that meant walking where God walks, doing what God does, becoming more God-like. God desires this closeness with us today. It’s up to us to make the same commitment Hezekiah made to hold fast to the Lord. Prayerfully Reflect What does it mean for you to ‘hold fast to the Lord’? Practice that today. Respond in Prayer Lord, like Hezekiah, I too commit to holding fast to you, trusting you alone to save and keep me, no matter what happens so that I become more like you. Amen. Live Obediently. Hold fast to the Lord. [1] The story of the bronze serpent is in Numbers 21:4-9.  “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…”
Prepare to Listen. Light all 4 colored candles. Let this prayer prepare you to listen: Save us, O God of our salvation, that we may give thanks to your holy name. Prayerfully Read 1 Kings 8:54-61 54Now when Solomon finished offering all this prayer and this plea to the LORD, he arose from facing the altar of the LORD, where he had knelt with hands outstretched towards heaven; 55he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice: 56‘Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised; not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke through his servant Moses. 57The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors; may he not leave us or abandon us, 58but incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our ancestors. 59Let these words of mine, with which I pleaded before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires; 60so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. 61Therefore devote yourselves completely to the LORD our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.’ Prayerfully Wonder The people gathered at the newly built temple as Solomon offered a long prayer of dedication.[1] The prayer ended, Solomon stood up “and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice.” His blessing revealed what he most desired for them, desires fulfilled in Jesus. First, he desired God’s presence: “The LORD our God be with us” and “may he not leave us or abandon us.” Jesus promised his disciples: “I am with you always, to the end of the age,” and also, “I will not leave you orphaned, I am coming to you.” He came, in the Holy Spirit. Second, he desired that God would “incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways.” Solomon didn’t tell his people to incline their hearts to God, but asked God to do this so that they would “keep his commandments.” This is what Jesus desired for us when he said, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.” And his commandment is both simple and hard, “love one another as I have loved you.” [2] Solomon’s final desire, that God maintain their cause “as each day requires,” reminded me of the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us each day our daily bread,” or as each day requires. No more, no less. It’s the antidote to consuming far more than we need while others go hungry. So we join Solomon and pray as Jesus taught us: just enough as each day requires. Prayerfully Reflect The reason for Solomon’s desires was “so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God.” What are your reasons for your desires? Respond in Prayer Lord, forgive us for asking and wanting more than each day requires. Help us ask only for that which will make all the peoples of the earth know that you indeed are Lord of all. Amen. Live Obediently. Be satisfied with what each day requires. [1] You can read it in 1 Kings 8:22-53. [2] NT texts from Matthew 28:20; John 14:18 and 15:10, 12 respectively.  Prepare to Listen. Light all 4 colored candles. Let this prayer prepare you to listen: Save us, O God of our salvation, that we may give thanks to your holy name.
Prayerfully Read 1 Chronicles 16:28-36 28Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come before him. Worship the LORD in holy splendour; 30tremble before him, all the earth. The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. 31Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD is king!’ 32Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. 33Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. 34O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. 35Say also: ‘Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and rescue us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise. 36Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.’ Then all the people said ‘Amen!’ and praised the LORD. Prayerfully Wonder As a child I often attended a church that had a large sign across the front of the sanctuary that read: Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. I read it often and those words shaped my concept of worship. They taught me that worship wasn’t to be taken lightly, or used to make me feel good. Worship is a holy act because we worship a holy God, one before whom we should tremble, not in fear but in love-struck awe. Holy worship begins with the recognition of whom we worship—the King of all the earth who “comes to judge the earth.” We worship God for many reasons, including God comes as Judge. I grew up with a very negative image of God as Judge and so never praised him for that. God, I presumed, would judge me for my sins, and if I didn’t ‘ask Jesus into my heart’ I’d be punished and sent to hell when I died. God the Judge was to be feared, avoided, placated, but not worshipped and praised. I didn’t know that Jesus’ coming into the world was to execute judgment, one that would right all wrongs, restore righteousness and justice, bring all people under the love and Rule of God. And this is worthy of praise and worship. We worship God in the beauty of holiness for many things, including because God comes to judge the earth. Prayerfully Reflect What caught your attention or challenged you in this psalm of praise? Ponder that today. Respond in Prayer Lord, keep reminding me of your awesome greatness so that my worship is offered in the beauty of holiness. Amen. Live Obediently. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.  “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…”
Prepare to Listen. Light the pink with two purple candles. Prepare to listen with this reminder: Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised. Prayerfully Read 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 26-27 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. 3David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, ‘This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ 4So David sent messengers to fetch her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. 5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, ‘I am pregnant.’ … 26When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. 27When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. Prayerfully Wonder Bathsheba. The name is well-known even though it’s not used often in Scripture. Even after her marriage to David, she’s most often referred to as ‘the wife of Uriah,’ as in Jesus’ family tree. We don’t have her story; we only have David’s—his undisciplined lust and power that made her a victim. However, God lifted her up and she now lives on as one of five women in Jesus’ family tree. Her role in the story is passive. David’s is active, as the verbs reveal—he saw her, sent for her, lay with her. He disregarded her married status to Uriah, one of David’s best soldiers.[1] He commanded her attendance in his room and, with her husband away and unable to protect her, Bathsheba had no choice but to obey. Since her side of the story isn’t told, we don’t know what she thought and felt. David used his power to take what he desired even though she didn’t belong to him. There is only one time when Bathsheba was active, and the only time she spoke. A few months later she sent David a message with two words (in the Hebrew), ‘I am pregnant.’ It was a risky message. As king, he could have her killed. Instead, he killed her husband and married her. “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.” No words of judgment against Bathsheba. Always referring to her as ‘the wife of Uriah,’ even in Jesus’ family tree, is an indictment against David, not Bathsheba, and an indictment against all those who sin against unprotected and vulnerable women. It should cause us to reflect on our desires and how we exercise the power we have over others. Prayerfully Reflect What new did this story reveal to you about God today? Respond in Prayer For all women who are treated as sex-objects, whose voices are silenced, whose desires are ignored, to you, Oh Lord, I pray. Amen. Live Obediently. Be disciplined to avoid lust and greed. [1] Uriah is named as one of David’s top 30 soldiers in 1 Samuel 23:24, 29.  Prepare to Listen. Light the pink with two purple candles. Prepare to listen with this reminder: Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised.
Prayerfully Read 1 Chronicles 17:16-20 16Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and said, ‘Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? 17And even this was a small thing in your sight, O God; you have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come. You regard me as someone of high rank, O LORD God! 18And what more can David say to you for honouring your servant? You know your servant. 19For your servant’s sake, O LORD, and according to your own heart, you have done all these great deeds, making known all these great things. 20There is no one like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. Prayerfully Wonder David’s desire was to build a house for God in Jerusalem. The prophet Nathan gave him the green light. But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, a word that surprised him. It was also a word that made clear that the LORD, not David was Israel’s true King. God declared that David wouldn’t build God a house, instead, God would build David a house that would become an eternal kingdom. David was so awestruck he “went in and sat before the LORD.” He sat. “This,” wrote Peterson, “may be the single most critical act that David ever did, the action that put him out of action.” It was critical, because how David reacted to Nathan’s message would “either qualify or disqualify him from the kingwork” to which God had appointed him.[1] By sitting, David humbly placed himself before the one and only King. He trusted God even though he didn’t fully grasp what God had promised him. His trust qualified him for kingwork. Perhaps it’s time for God’s people today, you and I, to go in and sit before the Lord; give up control of our lives; stop telling God how to run the world; let God be God in ways God chooses to be God. And to do this even when we don’t understand, like, or agree. That takes humility, lots of it. Prayerfully Reflect Sit before God and put yourself out of action so that God can work. Remember that doing nothing is often the most critical thing you can do. Respond in Prayer Lord, forgive me when I’m too busy to recognize your greatness and thus fail to go in and sit down before you. Help me carve out time to sit down and do nothing but worship you. Amen. Live Obediently. Sit down before the Lord and do nothing. [1] Peterson, Eugene. Leap over a wall. HarperSanFrancisco. 1997, p. 162. |
AuthorReading my Bible has been central in my life since I received my first Bible at 8 years of age. My decades of reading, studying and teaching the Bible gives my devotions a unique and enriching perspective. Reflecting on Jesus' family tree enriched my understanding of Jesus and the salvation he offers. Archives
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