Looking for the sun? Look for the Son!

Walking in the Truth during Advent

Today's scripture

"Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad & rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, He has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm."  Zephaniah 3:14-15

Today's devotional thoughts

We are closing in on the shortest day of the year--the day when the sun will seem to almost reluctantly drag itself above the horizon at its latest, then slip away too quickly at twilight--at least for those of us living in North America.

Although not all research supports this, there is a common perception that periods of depression may occur more often during the holiday season. Why? Well, maybe because amidst the many glittering lights & decorations . . . maybe amidst much festive music & overwhelming treats & parties . . . many find that the glitter & glow of the holidays don't appease an absence of joy, perhaps a creeping feeling of gloominess, as we approach Christmas. Reality doesn't measure up to the hype.

And this can be an even gloomier time of year, if it is accompanied by days of overcast skies & winter weather. On top of it all, some suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a mental condition in which less daylight & more time indoors can mean more sadness, even depression.

The prophet Zephaniah spoke words of joy to God's people living in darkness hundreds of years before the birth of the Messiah--a Messiah long-promised but yet to be revealed. These were people living in the shadow of God's approaching judgment which be visited upon them all-too-soon by the Babylonians. People listening to what must have seemed like God's never-ending words of judgment--God's Law which condemns--they also needed a word of God's Gospel:  His never-ending words of grace & mercy.

Those same words of hope--words that promise to take away our punishment . . . words that comfort us & remind us that we need fear no harm--are meant for us today--are needed by us today, as well. For we are people living in the darkness of an age of terrorism & turmoil, a time seemingly ill-defined but yet majestically proclaimed by the angels' familiar words in Luke 2:15, "Glory to God in the highest, & on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."

God's favor rests on you! And on me! And on all His people! It's like an extra hour of daylight at a time of year when we are reminded that we don't need the light of God's created sun to shine the light of His only begotten Son into our hearts!

Today's prayer thoughts

If you feel yourself inclined to sadness at a time of year when so many trappings of the season seem to say to you that you should feel unbridled joy, give thanks that God--Immanuel--is here, is WITH us to shine the light of true joy, our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, into our hearts!

A note about this devotion

I started writing devotionals for our chapel theme, "Walking in the Truth," for our Lutheran High Northeast Daily Bulletin, during the 2014-2015 school year. My "Walking in the Truth" devotionals for my blog have been adapted from those devotions. Since I went on an indefinite medical leave in early November, I didn't write Advent devotionals. For my recent Advent blogs, I started by "borrowing" devotional thoughts from Dr. Martin Luther. More recently I borrowed from devotional thoughts written by the staff who contribute daily devotions found on "A Slice of Infinity," sponsored by Ravi Zacharias Ministries. This is an awesome resource--one I use for my daily "quiet time."
      The devotions I'm posting now are those I've written as a volunteer "correspondent" for Orphan Grain Train, an international relief organization based in little Norfolk, NE. The president is the pastor of my church, Rev. Ray Wilke. Earlier this fall he asked me to do some writing, & I have been writing a short [believe it or not] weekly devotionals which is included in an e-bulletin that we send to our 19 branches across the United States. I expand it into a longer devotion which we use for our staff devotions on Wednesday mornings.