How to stay grounded in the season- Advent Devotional

How to stay grounded in the season- Advent Devotional

*Updated September 2022

advent devotional

Advent Week One: Silence

Advent is observed for four weeks before Christmas. Traditionally it is a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the birth of King Jesus, as well as awaiting the second coming of Christ. Before you dig into the blog post for today, watch this three-minute video to learn about the Advent season and how to use the blogs this month with your friends, your family, and on your own!

Opening Prayer and Scriptures:

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! – Psalm 14:7

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 2:1-11

New Testament Reading: Luke 20:19-26

Scripture Reflection:

Oswald Chambers said, “The root of all sin is the suspicion that God is not good.”

The religious people of Jesus’ day were masters in the art of suspicion. On the surface, they appeared squeaky clean. A band of brothers with high standards and moral values, men who felt responsible for keeping awareness of God front and center. They were suspicious men on high-alert, worried about losing their place of prominence at the temple table. “Trust no one and always verify” would have made for a catchy statement on their church marquee.

If I’m honest, there are still weeds of suspicions in me that pop up when I think that something is too simple, too kind or too good to be true.

A baby in a manger? Born to a virgin? A baby that is God? God that came as a flesh and blood baby, not a Zeus-like figure carrying lightning and thunder? This all seems a little crazy, right? It doesn’t seem right to me.

I say I believe, but when things don’t go the way I think they should, suspicion shows up to turn my wonder into worry and my child-like faith into fear.

What suspicious thoughts about God are you tempted to believe today?

For these religious leaders, the knowledge of God’s word had become more about safety for themselves than salvation for the world. Their relationship with God had become professional more than personal. They had turned God’s temple into a business – a way of securing their place of importance on the earth. And after four hundred years of not hearing God’s voice, it’s no wonder God’s voice started to sound a lot like their own. These people with dry bones were desperately in need of a fresh word from God. The problem was they weren’t ready for the kind of words that would disrupt the comfortable system their suspicious hearts had formed.

When was the last time you dug deep into God’s Word and recognized His voice?

Hoping to confirm their suspicions, the hard-hearted asked their question, and Jesus spoke.

With all wisdom, Jesus answered their question by telling them to give. Give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to Him. It was a simple answer that cut straight to the heart.

And then silence fell.

“…..but marveling at his answer they became silent” (Luke 20:26).

Silence stops the flowing faucet of our words, leaving more space for God to speak.

As we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord, let us be filled with awe and wonder that God, the Creator of all the universe, loves to speak to us! In the beginning, without suspicion, God spoke. And without a doubt, God put on flesh, walked among us, and came to show us The Way back home to himself.

The words of Jesus are marvelous. When the weeds of suspicion get pulled from our hearts, it’s appropriate to be left with no words at all. Silence stops our words, leaving more space for Immanuel, God with us, to speak.  In that space, awe and wonder can return, and our childlike faith once again has a chance to blossom into worship.

“O come let us adore Him.”

How will you practice silence this season of Advent?

Now is a time for spontaneous prayer. Or allow everyone to answer the question: What do you notice from the Bible reading?

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for never condemning our hearts. Thank you for knowing what we need. Thank you for sending your beautiful son, Jesus, to save us.

While we were still sinners who were terminally soul-sick, with suspicious hearts, you sent your son to set us free.

We turn to you now to lay down our worried hearts and pick up the gift of receiving more of you. We quiet our hearts to hear from you. We still our minds to be set on you. Your words to us always bless us. With you, Immanuel, we are healthy, whole, and eternally free.

RevTip: Clean a room (or two) of your house!

When you invite a guest over, you prepare your home in order to foster an evening of joy, connection, and friendship. You may tidy up the living room, light a sweet candle (or diffuse a fancy oil), and set out your nice dishes. Just as we prepare our homes for a guest, consider preparing your home for Christ this season.

This week, pick one room (or one closet) and organize it, clean it, and prepare it for the coming Christ. You are invited to invite others to this practice! Invite your children to clean by playing a creative game. Crank up worship music with your roommates or spouse as you clean out forgotten corners. You are preparing your home for Christ! Rejoice!

In the comments below, share how you make cleaning fun or how you felt preparing your home for Christ.

Scripture Reflection and Closing Prayer written by Alisa Keeton.

Alisa is the founder of Revelation Wellness and the author of The Wellness Revelation. She was born for the battle for freedom! She is an ordinary woman who spends time with Jesus, and then He causes her to rise up and do extraordinary things. Starting a ministry, writing, teaching, and speaking are some of those things.

advent and christmas guide

Everything You Need This Season

What if the weeks before Christmas were marked by rhythms of reflection, peace, and preparation? What if Christmas and the twelve days that followed were marked with unhurried celebration and fellowship? 

We don’t want you to add more to your hectic schedule.

But, after reading through these devotionals, resources, and a whole lot of God’s Word, you may just be compelled to adopt new rhythms and priorities during these weeks of joy. 

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8 Responses

  1. Thank you; read this today & it echoes what I wrote to a friend earlier in the week…

    “not going to prepare a “Room for Him”; but I think I am preparing a Cocoon this season… no idea what the Lord has planned for this, but I’m writing again; committing to this hard work ahead. … tackling a very cluttered & neglected room; been avoiding; its the space where I should find stillness & quiet… to breathe; will need that room prepared for what is ahead…

    “… like a jar of river water all shaken up. What you need is to sit still long enough that the sediment can settle and the water can become clear.” (quote: Ruth Haley Barton; Invitation to Silence and Solitude)

    1. Thank you for sharing, Gwen! I love that quote from Ruth Haley Barton. I pray these devotionals have been a blessing to you as you’ve “cocooned” with the Lord. 🙂

  2. Soooooo good! My husband and I have been downsizing – it’s been a joy to throw away, give away and even sell some items. It has created not only more room in our home but more room in our heart – more time with God, our Father!

    1. Yes! Thanks for sharing, Martha! It has been such a good practice this season to intentionally make space in my home and heart to prepare for Jesus!

  3. Amen! This was such a sweet reminder of what the Lord spoke to me 12 years ago. “Go prepare a place.” Over the years I have done this in my own strength. I assumed my instruction was to go prepare a place for others who may need a place to stay. I was able to purchase a home, I was able to have a mortgage that was easy to afford so that whoever moves in I would I would be able to be flexible in charging or not. I wanted God to meet them at their point of need. I was all set. or so I thought, Several families later i told God this was not working out the way I envisioned. I found myself drained, tired and in worse financial shape then I started. In speaking with a friend, she very sweetly said, have you ever considered that God wanted you to prepare a place for Him to dwell!!!!! drop the mic and the entire sound system! it was so simple, yet so profound. I was operating outside of him and I had not completely given over to him the home he graciously allowed me to have. Of course i dedicated and had it blessed, but i had not really made room for him. I have 1 closest left to organize. I feel the presence of Christ in my home like I never have before.

    1. Thank you for sharing this sweet testimony! It is amazing how the Lord works and how gracious He is to us when we are trying to follow Him! I hope these Advent devotionals have blessed you and your family during this season!

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