Advent Devotion - Day 7

Join us through this special time of Advent as we dive deeper into the Word of God. Each day, we will pray and reflect on a different passage from Scripture. Daily Readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, and reflections are written by our church staff.

Father, in this season we have so much to celebrate! We are living within your promise to Abraham; we are your children. We prosper in our relationship with you. May we be that voice in the wilderness to point the rest of the world towards you and the abundance you provide, not in material things, but in things of the spirit. We praise your name Father; in you, we rejoice! Amen.

Psalm 72:1-7

Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.
² May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. ⁵ May he endure[a] as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. ⁶ May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. ⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

Psalm 72:18-19

¹⁸ Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. ¹⁹ Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

Isaiah 40:1-11

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. ² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. ³ A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD[a]; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.[b] ⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. ⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” ⁶ A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. ⁷ The grass withers and the flowers fall because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. ⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” ⁹ You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem,[c] lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” ¹⁰ See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. ¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

How do you define prosperity? For me, prosperity is not so much the sense of material things or wealth, but prosperity is a relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In Psalm 72, the poet writes of the king asking for prosperity, defense of the afflicted, to save the children of the needy, to crush the oppressor, for the righteous to flourish, and prosperity to abound (Psalm 72:1-7). In my mind, I see this as the very thing Jesus came to do – bring prosperity to the world, defend the afflicted, save the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor. In verses 18-19, the poet points directly to God, who does marvelous deeds, and praises his glorious name, so the whole earth can be filled with his glory. I see this as a wonderful vision of prosperity!

How blessed we are to live in a world where God’s promise to Abraham has been fulfilled. True, there are still many works to do to get the good news to the people of the globe. The Book of Isaiah, chapter 40, speaks of the one in the wilderness crying out to the children of Israel, "Prepare for the Lord; make straight the path for the Lord!" The Christmas season is about our anticipation, but in a way, it is also about us making a way for the Lord. During the Advent season, we not only look back on the birth of Jesus, but we also wait with anticipation! We know Jesus will one day return, and we are to live into our mission. Let us rejoice this Christmas, but also remember we are now the voice in the wilderness, calling to those in desperate need of Jesus. Let us point the way! May prosperity abound with you and your family!

How do you view prosperity in your life? How can you show the prosperity Jesus offers to others?