Advent Devotional - God's Faithfulness

Psalm 67:

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face to shine upon us,

Selah

2 that your way may be known upon earth,

your saving power among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide the nations upon earth.

Selah

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has yielded its increase;

God, our God, has blessed us.

7 May God continue to bless us;

let all the ends of the earth revere him.

Devotional: 
Psalm 67 is a beautiful reminder of our dependence upon God and of how God's faithfulness in our lives can make known to others God‟s saving power.

Too often, in our consumer-driven culture in which even religion can function as a kind of marketplace, we imagine that life and faith are primarily about us, about getting ourselves saved, about getting our needs met. I love the opening line of Rick Warren‟s The Purpose-Driven Life: "It‟s not about you."

How different a self-centered approach is from the truest spirit of Advent. We prepare anew to celebrate the birth of One who offered himself for the sake of the world, One who promised to return, the One in whom God is gathering up all things.

When we follow Jesus, he leads us out into the broken world to display his glory and grace -- that all the peoples might sing for joy.

Prayer:Gracious God, in this season of watching and waiting deepen our trust in you. And help us to see how we can make your mercy and power real in the lives of those around us. Amen.