Category: Advent Devotionals 2023

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends; You are my friends if you do what I command. —John 15:13-14

You shall love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and with all your strength.
—Mark 12:30-31

The writer asks us to consider “What kind of love a man would have to lay down his life for a friend?” This sort of Agape love can only be described as amazing! Jesus, having this kind of love for his bride, the church, laid down his life for us all. Laid down. His life was not taken. The almighty God that created heaven and earth came to us in the form of a babe born of a virgin. He certainly could have called 10,000 angels to defeat the ones that nailed him to the cross. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit know the end of everything from the beginning. Therefore, knowing that only the precious blood of Christ could save us from condemnation, He laid down His life willingly, while we were yet in sin.

This brings me to ask, are we then, truly ‘friends’ of God? Jesus laid down His life for a friend, but how many of us would be willing to do that? I’m the first to admit that although I try, I am not always holding up my end of the friendship at all. We meet our secular friends for coffee, make dinner reservations far in advance. We ‘friend’ people on Facebook all day long or send a thoughtful tweet throughout the day, just because. We bestow our friends with our time, respect, pour resources into them, and give them our love. How have you loved God today? This friendship is in many ways very one-sided. We are asked to fellowship, pray, read our Bible and to spread the good news. REALLY… IT’S NOT HARD:

• Fellowship-go to church (You will be welcomed, encouraged, fed, and missed.)
• Pray-talk to God (How else can we stay connected to our heavenly father?)
• Read the Bible (It’s literally a roadmap for every one of life’s little or big nuances.)
• Spread the Good News (Testimony Time! Simply talk about what He’s done, what you’re expecting, about His goodness.)

To be a friend of God is to love Him. I’ve found that putting God first in my life is the easiest way to walk the straight and narrow. Many say to err is human. For some of us with challenging pasts, errors are an everyday occurrence. The grace of God keeps me grounded, His forgiveness and grace keep me going. Trials and tribulations come daily, but I’ve found that I can always receive enough grace for today. Everyday. And it is sufficient for me to continue walking this walk. I am a friend of God.

Lord, please help us to be friends of you. Thank you for your love, grace, and peace that you so freely bestow upon us each and every day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Mecah Idikwu

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. —Matthew 1:21

Love – everybody wants it and everyone needs it. We look for love from our parents, spouses, children and friends. Some even look for love from strangers on social media. We all search for love; it doesn’t matter if you’re young or old. Love is a vital part of human existence. When a person is deprived of love it’s hard for them to love others as well as themselves.

We are all loved by God our Father yet so many of us haven’t experienced His unconditional love. When I encounter a child who’s difficult to deal with, I ask God to allow His love to shine through me straight to their little heart. As time goes on I’ll see a change. It might be small but God’s love is at work.

Praise God for his amazing love for us. When man sinned, He had a plan for our redemption. God sent his son as a special gift of love. Praise God for Jesus our Savior.

Dear God, Thank you for loving us so much that you gave your one and only son to save the world. In Jesus’ name, amen

L. Darlene Dickson

Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. —Proverbs 16:31

As a friend was celebrating her milestone birthday of 70 years, she said that 70 is the new 40. Everyone laughed. That particular friend goes over and beyond and certainly does not seem to be “OLD.”
I have passed several milestone birthdays. I do not feel old most of the time. Where did the time go? How did my son get to be as old as he is? He was only a baby a few months ago. How could I have possibly been married for so long? Our wedding was not that long ago.

Now, when I tried to skip a few months ago and could not get off the ground, I felt old. That was so easy before, and I always had fun skipping. Several months later, I tried to hop and could not do that. I figured it was because I had so much weight to lift and did not want to think it was because of the date of my birth. I cannot open the caps on water bottles some days. It pains me to think that I have lost that much strength in my hands.

My husband has told me several times recently that we are old. I asked him not to say that, even though it is true. We cannot learn to scuba dive because of the calendar, and we cannot do on a cruise what we did thirty years ago. We have learned to take many things much slower than we have previously done. Naps were always appreciated, but now they come at unexpected times and sometimes unintentionally.
Through it all, God has been a constant in my life. He has been there for all those birthdays and ordinary days. God’s LOVE is ever present whether we are a newborn babe or a woman with a crown of gray hair. God’s LOVE will never be taken away even if other feelings or abilities become diminished or disappear altogether. God loves us all very much.

As this Christian season of LOVE is upon us, remember to show God’s LOVE to all that you meet whether they have aged out or not.

Father of us all, continue to love us, no matter what color our hair is or even if we do not have hair. Let us show that love to others whom we meet each day. Guide us in your way of Love. Amen

Daphne G. Grady

A Star Shone Over Bethlehem – A Star of Love
Caleb came up to the shop before noon
To ask if his job would be finished soon.
The carpenter answered, “It’s almost done.
Come in, my friend, don’t stand in the sun.
Here is your wagon good as new,
Ready to go many miles for you.”
“It soon will have many miles to go.
Our Roman masters would have it so.
Joseph,” said Caleb, “it’s certain that no man
Ever has encountered a good-natured Roman.
Look at their faces, harsh and grim.
They take what’s ours on the slightest whim.
Having a census? Well, okay that’s fine,
But why do I have to go to sign
The rolls in a town where I’ve never been
Because it was once the home of my kin?”
Joseph answered, “It’s hard, I know,
Down to Bethlehem we must go,
Mary and I and the time draws near-
In just a few days our child will be here.
We have our old donkey for her to ride
But I haven’t anything else to provide
For safety and comfort along the way.
We have to go but we need to stay!
I’m worried for her. The trip is so long,
So filled with danger, so much can go wrong.”

“Stop, stop,” said Caleb, “you’re overwrought.
Be calm, my friend, I have a thought.
Look at the wagon you’ve fixed for me.
It’s certainly big enough for three.
Just listen before you deny my claim
For most of the journey our paths are the same.
In the wagon on cushions Mary may rest.
My horses will pull us, two of the best.
I’ll be the driver. You can decide
Whether you want to walk or ride.”
“Thank you,” said Joseph, “that offer is more
Than any friend could be hoping for.
Mary and I will talk, and if she
Thinks well of your plan we will agree.”

When the matter was settled, plans were laid,
Provisions gathered, old debts repaid.
At last at dawn on a chilly day
The trip of the three was underway,
With Mary at ease in the wagon bed
And Joseph acting as driver instead
Of Caleb who happily cheered them along
Playing his flute or singing a song.
They traveled all day. They camped that night
By the side of the roadway just out of sight.
Hidden they hoped by the thicket of trees
That lined their path, they rested at ease
And savored the porridge that Mary brewed
While horses and donkeys foraged for food.
They slept quite soundly through the night
And set out again at the dawn’s first light.

Caleb was driving on that day’s ride
While Joseph was sitting at Mary’s side.
They talked together of many a thing:
Their hopes for their child, what the future might bring.
Then Mary said, “Last night in my bed
I suddenly awoke and saw overhead
A wondrously beautiful golden star,
Brighter than any around it by far.
And I was enfolded by its glow
And felt the love it was sent to bestow
On me and you and all we know.”
“The star is a blessing,” said Joseph “and we
Will watch together tonight and see.
There in the heavens high above
This wonderful star, this star of love.”
And as they traveled every night
They searched the sky for this heavenly sight.
At last came the time when Bethlehem lay
Only the walk of a morning away.
It’s hard to say good-bye to a friend
But earthly journeys have an end.
Caleb drove east with a cheerful “good day!”
Mary and Joseph knelt to pray.
Then rising they prepared to go
To Bethlehem traveling steady and slow
On their donkey Mary would ride
With Joseph walking along at her side.
What the future would bring neither could say.
The star of love pointed their way.

Guy Johnson

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “…plans to give you hope and a future.” —Jeremiah 29:11

Expectantly, I lean forward as lights come up, revealing a makeshift stage. A little shepherd boy sits outside a simple dwelling, playing a flute. Inside, his mother sweeps a dirt floor.

I am seeing for the first time Menotti’s one-act opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. I am fourteen years old. To be sure, this is a low-budget production. The “stage” is actually the platform of University Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge. The set (the shepherd’s hut) is depicted only by a rustic table and a bench. The door to the hut is imagined.

There is no orchestra. Only a piano provides the accompaniment. And the shepherd boy isn’t a boy. The role is being sung by a petite young woman—a lyric soprano.

But none of this matters. To me, the production is magical. As the opera advances, I will learn that the little shepherd is crippled and that three Wise Men will visit the boy’s hut that very night–to rest on their way to Bethlehem. The plot unfolds rapidly. The Wise Men will fall asleep. The mother will attempt to steal gold from these visitors—until she learns that the gold is meant for a special child born this very night in Bethlehem. The mother and her son Amahl are among the poorest of the poor, yet Amahl wishes to give a gift of his own to this child. He offers to give his crutch. As he takes it from under his arm and presents it to the Wise Men, the music dies to just above a whisper. Amahl, hardly believing, looks down at his feet. Slowly he sings, “I walk, mother. I walk…”

Through the years, I’ve seen this little opera many times. But I will always look for a chance to see it again when Christmas rolls around, and for this simple reason: Amahl has come to symbolize everything that Christmas means to me–love, forgiveness, and healing.

In a very real way, the little boy Amahl is now a part of me. I have passed through a lifetime of hopes held high and dreams dashed, unbridled joys and cruel disappointments. The opera ends as Amahl joins the Wise Men on their journey toward Bethlehem. The audience delights in this glorious finale. But time and again, I will go back to witness this little opera, not for the ending, but for the instant right before Amahl is healed…the moment “just before,” when Amahl is simply offering his own gift to the Christ child. This is my “Amahl Moment.”

In my seventies now, I’ve lived so many of my days just waiting, stranded in those moments “just before.” And there are, I know, so many of those “just before” moments yet to come. But the beautiful strains of Menotti’s opera will stir again. Lights will again come up on a poor shepherd’s hut. The Wise Men will appear. And as Amahl offers his simple gift, I know that there will always come–in that very next moment–a miracle.

Dear Lord, whatever the present circumstances, I know You are always with me, leading me into the promise of a bright tomorrow.

Terry Byars

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. —Jeremiah 29:11

For those who believe in Jesus Christ, there is always the HOPE of Eternal Life. That is why He came to earth so that we might have life in Him forever.

For those who have family members living with mental illness, hope often seems to be on a far flung planet. They look at their family member and grieve for what was or what might have been. Family members may be called every name in the book or have holes punched in the walls of their home or even have violence done against them by their ill family member. The one with the illness may steal money or take a car and drive to a distant state because the voices in their head told them to do so. While all of this is happening, the family has given up any hope they might have had of having a life that looks like other families’ lives. They feel all alone and because of stigma may not choose to tell anyone of the diagnosis of mental illness.

At NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) we will never give up HOPE. We let family members know that there are others who have had the same or similar experiences. Mental health is part of physical health, and there is no stigma in admitting to a person’s having a brain disorder. We teach communication skills and self-care for the family so that they can make living with the ill family member easier. We teach that recovery is possible even though it may not look the same as before the person got ill. There is hope for a better family life and a positive future.

During this season of Christian HOPE, let us remember there is indeed hope for those living with mental illness and for their families.

Father of HOPE, be with those whose families have been disrupted by mental illness. Let them know that HOPE is possible and let them know of the hope of eternal life. Be with them through their struggles and let them know the peace that passes understanding in YOU. Amen

Daphne G. Grady

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (Emmanuel) – which means, God with us. —Matthew 1:23

When I hear the name Emmanuel, it sends me back to my teenage years. Our Associate Pastor, Emanuel E. Holmberg, often met with and led the Sunday School Class for the teens at our Oklahoma City Methodist church. His quiet smile and kind demeanor made a lasting impression. He never raised his voice or preached a brimstone sermon to my knowledge. We knew he had served as a chaplain in WWII, but he never dwelled on it with the youth. I am not sure why he is such a big part of my memories except that he embodied the love of Christ to all he met.

In the early 1970s when I was in high school, Rev. Emanuel Holmberg was already in his early 60’s. He had served as the pastor in several small towns in Oklahoma after attending OCU and Garrett Biblical Institute for his Bachelor of Divinity. Then came WWII and at age 35, with a wife and two small children, he volunteered to be a Chaplain in the U.S. Army in Europe. Upon returning to Oklahoma after the war as an even more spiritual pastor, he served in five more churches until nearing retirement, he came to OKC as an Associate Pastor at my church. He served a total of 62 years as a Methodist pastor. All of these facts are just details, but his ministry remains a part of my heart and he truly embodies his name – God With Us.

Rev. Emanuel Edward Holmberg – 1906 to 1996.

Lord, thank you for the Saints who came before us. We never know what impact we will have on those we encounter. I pray that I can be your servant to those I meet. Amen

Carol Marr Gordon

Listen carefully: you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. —Luke 1:31

She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus (The Lord is salvation), for He will save His people from their sins. —Matthew 1:21

Before our first child was born, I spent many hours poring through baby name books, three or four books with thousands of names each. I was looking for the perfect name. My husband and I used to travel to Houston two to three times per month, so he was trapped in the car while I hashed and rehashed “our” favorite names. After months of study and review, we finally landed on the perfect names – one for a boy and one for a girl. A friend told me a few years later that the first year or two of his life, I never called our first born by the name that had been so laboriously selected. I called him “Babe” or “Baby.” I still do.

Mary did not spend hours choosing a name for her first born. The angels sent by God told her and Joseph that their son’s name would be Jesus, meaning deliverer or savior. It was a name that fit His purpose on Earth, to be the salvation for all believers, none of whom can consistently live the holy life demanded by God. We have our moments where we eagerly share the Fruits of the Spirit and follow the Greatest Commandment but then we stray off the path, sometimes in a series of one small steps and sometimes in one big leap. Because of our shortcomings, the Son of God took human form so that He could be the salvation of all people, our salvation. The birth of Jesus in the Christmas story leads us to the Easter story where His sacrifice for us fulfills the promise foretold by His name. With the fulfillment of that promise comes another promise. If we believe in Jesus and strive to live by the Word, we can get a new name: Child of God. As one of God’s Children, we can be assured that God loves us as a parent loves a child, guiding our path but understanding that there are times we wander. God is always there to welcome us back and help us get back on track.

With the birth of two more children, the baby name search was reinvigorated two more times. I frequently use nicknames for those two also – “K” and “To.” (I can imagine that in the quiet moments, Mary had a pet name for Jesus, maybe “Baby” or “Little One” or “J.”) The name we are given is important, but so is the name “Child of God” that is given to us as a believer.

Dear God, thank you for the salvation that You sent to us through Your son Jesus. Remind us even when we stray from our path that we are a Child of God. Amen

Susan Lambert

Joseph went to the town of Bethlehem. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have the baby, and she gave birth to her first son. She wrapped the baby with cloths and laid him in a manger because there were no rooms in the inn. —Luke 2:4-7

Undoubtedly, angels were present when our station wagon broke down in Vaiden, Mississippi, on the way back from Iowa that Christmas Day. The old wagon coasted down the off-ramp and stopped just across from the gas station.

I sent Lois and the children to the café while I tried to fix the wagon. Sunset was not in my favor, so I joined the family.

We asked the waitress about a hotel and a repair shop. An older couple were listening, and Mary came over. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Can we help?” she asked. She had spoken with her husband Harold, and they agreed we should stay with them at his hunting lodge because the immediate area was not safe.

So, we piled the children into their car and headed toward their lodge. We made our introductions and before long we learned that Mr. Smith was the former president of Baldwin Pianos and he had rewarded his top salespersons (and their spouses) with vacations around the world. As a music store owner, Lois’s dad had been one of those salesmen and he and Lois’s mom had accompanied Mr. Smith on several of these trips.

That Christmas night we slept in comfort and the next morning were treated to Mary’s breakfast of eggs, fresh-baked biscuits, hashed browns, sausage, juice and coffee. Harold called some friends the night before who had had our station wagon towed to a repair shop—it would be fixed by 11 a.m. so we could continue our travels.

What a gift and what an encounter! Such generosity and love from these strangers and yet less than six degrees of separation. Was it happenstance, serendipity or divine intervention? Time would tell.
Upon return to Baton Rouge, Lois and I considered what gift we could send them to say thank you. We pondered and wrote a letter to Harold and Mary’s hometown newspaper in Greenwood, Mississippi. The title of the letter: “Room at the Inn or Vaiden Angels.” We recounted the generosity of the Smiths and their outpouring of gifts.

Later, Mary sent us a letter. “I could not believe how generous you were with your account of our meeting. In fact, I sat there and re-read it and cried. You and your family were more of a blessing to us than we could ever be to you. Before we offered “bed and breakfast” I said to Harold, “You never know when you are entertaining Angels unaware.”

Awesome Creator. Thank you for the birth of your son Jesus and for all gifts both great and small. May the angels in heaven and on earth unite in one voice and resound, “AMEN”!

Steve Rushing

A child is born to us, a son is given to us, and authority will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be vast authority and endless peace for David’s throne and for his kingdom, establishing and sustaining it with justice and righteousness now and forever. —Isaiah 9: 6-7

When my husband John and I were expecting our first baby, we began­ – as many expectant parents do – to consider what we would name the baby. This was back in the day when ultrasound technology was just being developed, and ultrasounds were not common for routine pregnancies. I did not have one and we were ‘in the dark’ as to whether we would have a girl or a boy. John was very clear that he wanted to name our baby the name that he or she would be called: no nicknames for our child!! We chose the name James for a boy. And James is what we called him: not Jim, or Jimmy or Jay Jay or Jas or Jamus. James!

I remember very clearly a Sunday morning that James came with me on my circuit of three churches. He was about two years old. At the third church, after the service was over, one of the men in the church came up to us and said to James, “Hi there, Jimmy. It’s good to see you this morning.” James straightened himself up to his full three feet of height and very adamantly said, “My name is James!” As far as I know, no one has ever called him anything else.

I love this passage from the prophet Isaiah as he tells his readers who the coming Son, the Promised One will be. His name will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He has more than one name. These names are the foundation for our understanding of who Jesus is. They are the basis for knowing something about who the people should expect and what kind of Messiah God is sending. When I read these names for Jesus, I am filled with hope and joy. I am comforted by the knowledge of just who our Savior will be.

I might have only one name by which I call my older son, but I am truly glad that there are many names that help me understand who Jesus is.

Almighty God, thank you for sending Jesus to be with us. Thank you for the prophet Isaiah who gave us names to call our Messiah so that we can begin to understand who he is. Help us as we go through this Advent season to grow in knowledge, in faith and in our relationship to Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Marie Williams