There is no more fitting way to wrap up our 2024 study of Advent than to share this final journal entry from the. LGG, study: Rejoice, A Celebration of Advent. It is a wonderful review of where our journey led us and beautiful expressions of hope that the journey will have a lasting spiritual impact on our hearts, minds, and lives – and ultimately on our relationships with Jesus, our Prince of Peace. ❤️
Scripture; God’s Road Map for Our Journey/Luke 2:15-20; Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 15:1-4
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
1The glory which the shepherds had seen in the fields did not last very long. When the angels went back to heaven, it was dark again. The night was quiet, and the sheep continued grazing. But these men’s lives were not the same. After they had gone to see Jesus, we are told that they “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.” God’s glory had come into their hearts, just as it comes into the heart of every Christian.
We have spent four weeks rejoicing along with the Advent songs of the gospel of Luke. We have learned from Zechariah, Simeon, Mary, and the angels. Together with them, we have seen some of God’s glory when we look at His wonderful attributes, His holiness, strength, tender mercy, and compassion. May we remember this glory and grow more and more in the knowledge of Him. May we do so with singing in our hearts.
May we experience true joy in our Savior, who came on that first Christmas over 2000 years ago. We know that He has done the most important work at His first coming, carrying our sins away and defeating our enemy.
May we trust Him who continues to come to us daily in all our worries and pain. He is our best friend, our Prince of Peace, and our comforter. We can pour out our hearts to Him and look to Him for help.
May we patiently wait for Him, who will soon come back in power and majesty. The next time He comes, He will judge all those who have rejected His mercy, who were too proud and self-sufficient to turn to Him. And He will take His own, those who have fled to Him for shelter, to enjoy His glory in heaven forever.
Until then, let’s live like the shepherds and tell many other people about Jesus, the wonderful Savior who loved us so much that He left heaven to come to us.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to us that first Christmas. Let your glory shine brightly in my heart today and in this coming year. As I wait for your glorious return, let me be a witness and tell others about you. Amen.
- borrowed and shared from the Love God Greatly journal entry, Rejoice/p147 ↩︎
Me From the Inside Out 