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A Resource by Mark D. Roberts |
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Inspiration, Volume 2
December 3, 2006 through March
25, 2007
by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts
Copyright © 2006-2007 by Mark D. Roberts
Note: You may download this resource at no cost, for personal use or for use in a Christian ministry, as long as you are not publishing it for sale. All I ask is that you give credit where credit is due. For all other uses, please contact me at mark@markdroberts.com. Thank you.
Sunday, December 3, 2006 
Psalm 80:1-2
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
Prayer
Dear Lord, You are the Good Shepherd. You watch out for Your people, guiding us, protecting us, nurturing us. With You we are eternally safe from all danger.
And yet, Lord, we there are temporal dangers, temporal sufferings all around us. We worry about the threat of terrorism. We fret about potential proliferation of nuclear weapons. We grieve to see lives destroyed by senseless violence. We see the pain of the hungry and yearn for their feeding. We glimpse the heartache caused by HIV/AIDs and yearn for the day when you will dry every tear.
O Lord, as we begin this new Christian year, and as we begin the season of Advent, we cry out with Your people long ago: "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel! Stir up your might, and come to save us!"
Postscript
Today is the first day of the season of Advent, which is the first season in the Christian year. During Advent we remember the yearning of Israel for the Messiah's first coming, and we ourselves look forward to His second coming.
In my church and family we use the traditional Advent wreath as a way of focusing our hearts during this season. We light one candle each Sunday (or thereabouts) of Advent, and then the white candle on Christmas Eve night as we begin the celebration of Christmas. (This year Christmas Eve is a Sunday, so we'll light the fourth candle on Sunday morning and the center candle on Sunday evening). |
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If you would like to enjoy a virtual Advent wreath, you can use the picture above. When you click on the correct candle, it will light up. Otherwise, you must be patient. Enjoy! And may you have a blessed Advent.
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If you're looking for more information about Advent, let me direct you to a series I've written over the past couple of years. It's called: Advent and the Christian Year. If you'd like to use an Advent wreath in your devotion and don't know quite what to do, I've written a brief guide to help you: Preparing for the Coming of Christ: A Family Guide for Using the Advent Wreath.
Comment?
If you would like to add a comment on this post, click here.
The Daily Psalm
The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Psalm 130:5
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope.
Prayer
O Lord, waiting for You is never easy. I'm such an impatient person. My timetable is so short, and my patience shorter still. It's always hard for me to wait for You, and You know that.
But the author of Psalm 130 isn't waiting for You in ordinary times. He is desperate, crying to You "out of the depths." Yet he waits because You haven't acted. What other options does he have? I suppose he could give up on You entirely, concluding either that You don't exist, or that You aren't gracious. So what keeps Him waiting, even hoping in You though You don't act?
He persists because He knows You. He knows that You are a forgiving God. He knows that with You there is steadfast love. He knows that You have great power to redeem. He remembers Your faithfulness to Israel, Your promises and actions from the past. And so he has hope. And so he waits.
Dear Lord, in this season of Advent, may I also remember who You are and what You have done. May I think back to the longing of Israel for a Messiah and the amazing way You sent Your Son as the Savior. May I remember the many ways You have revealed Your steadfast love, most of all in Jesus who came to reveal Your truth and to die in our place.
Help me, Gracious God, to wait for You and hope in You. And help others, especially those who are crying to You from the depths today. In particular, I want to pray for . . . [mention the names of people in your life who are struggling today].
O God, thank You for hearing my cries from the depths. Thank You for Your forgiveness, for Your steadfast love and redeeming power. Thank You for being a God worth waiting for!
Amen!
Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!
3 If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
8 It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Postscript
Today is the second Sunday of the season of Advent. In my church and family we use the traditional Advent wreath as a way of focusing our hearts during this season. We light one candle each Sunday and then the white candle on Christmas Eve night as we begin the celebration of Christmas. (This year Christmas Eve is a Sunday, so we'll light the fourth candle on Sunday morning and the center candle on Sunday evening).
Many hymns have been based on Psalm 130. Though we don't think of these as Advent hymns in particular, they do capture the sense of the season. Here are a couple of examples: |
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If you would like to enjoy a virtual Advent wreath, you can use the picture above. When you click on the correct candle, it will light up. Otherwise, you must be patient. Enjoy! And may you have a blessed Advent.
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A Hymn Based on Psalm 130
by Isaac Watts
Out of the deeps of long distress,
The borders of despair,
I sent my cries to seek thy grace,
My groans to move thine ear.
Great God, should thy severer eye,
And thine impartial hand,
Mark and revenge iniquity,
No mortal flesh could stand.
But there are pardons with my God
For crimes of high degree;
Thy Son has bought them with his blood,
To draw us near to thee.
I wait for thy salvation, Lord,
With strong desires I wait;
My soul, invited by thy word,
Stands watching at thy gate.
Just as the guards that keep the night
Long for the morning skies,
Watch the first beams of breaking light,
And meet them with their eyes;
So waits my soul to see thy grace,
And, more intent than they,
Meets the first openings of thy face,
And finds a brighter day.
Then in the Lord let Isr'el trust,
Let Isr'el seek his face;
The Lord is good as well as just,
And plenteous is his grace.
There's full redemption at his throne.
For sinners long enslaved;
The great Redeemer is his Son,
And Isr'el shall be saved.
"Out of the Depths" (orig. Aus tiefer Noth)
by Martin Luther (trans. Catherine Winkworth)
Out of the depths I cry to Thee;
Lord, hear me, I implore Thee!
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me;
I lay my sins before Thee.
If Thou rememberest each misdeed,
If each should have its rightful meed,
Who may abide Thy presence?
Thou grantest pardon through Thy love;
Thy grace alone availeth;
Our works could ne’er our guilt remove;
Yea, e’en the best life faileth.
For none may boast himself of aught,
But must confess Thy grace hath wrought
Whate’er in him is worthy.
And thus my hope is in the Lord,
And not in my own merit;
I rest upon His faithful Word
To them of contrite spirit.
That He is merciful and just,
Here is my comfort and my trust;
His help I wait with patience.
Comment?
If you would like to add a comment on this post, click here.
The Daily Psalm
The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Psalm 126:6
Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
hall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
Prayer
This world is filled with weeping, Lord,
of a father for a son who has given his life in battle,
of a mother whose child was killed as an innocent bystander in a drive-by shooting,
of orphans who have lost this parents to AIDS,
of parents who don't have access to medicines for their sick children,
of villagers who have seen their lives destroyed by violence in Darfur,
of millions of people throughout our world who are hungry and hopeless,
and on, and on, and on.
In Advent we pay attention to the pain of our world as we long for the new creation, when weapons will be turned into tools for growing food, when the powerful will lie down in peace with the weak, when You will wipe away every tear. Yet on the third Sunday of Advent we focus especially on the joy that is to come, the joy beyond the weeping, the joy made even more precious by the sadness it replaces. Today we get to taste a bit of that joy, Lord, and it is delicious. Indeed, it increases our hunger for the feast yet to come.
So we rejoice today, Lord, as we think of what You have already done for us, most of all through Jesus, whose birth we are soon to celebrate. And we rejoice in confident hope of that joy that is set before us. We yearn for the day, gracious God, when those who have gone out with weeping will return with shouts of joy. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Psalm 126
A Song of Ascents.
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.
Postscript
Today is the third Sunday of the season of Advent. In my church and family we use the traditional Advent wreath as a way of focusing our hearts during this season. We light one candle each Sunday and then the white candle on Christmas Eve night as we begin the celebration of Christmas.
It is tradition to light a pink candle on the third Sunday of Advent. The color significes joy, and helps us to remember the joy in our waiting.
Giving Joyfully |
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If you would like to enjoy a virtual Advent wreath, you can use the picture above. When you click on the correct candle, it will light up. Otherwise, you must be patient. Enjoy! |
As we rejoice in God's goodness to us, and as we remember those who have "gone out" with weeping, our hearts are moved to be generous in giving. I have been encouraging several channels of giving in this season of Advent and Christmas:
• Your local church. (Yes, of course I have a bias in this direction! But I'm very aware of the needs and opportunities of local churches.)
• World Vision. No organization in the world does a better joy caring for the poor in the name of Christ. See World Vision's "Ways to Give" page.
• Injured Marines Sempre Fi Fund. Here's a way to care for those who have given much in service to our country, and also for their families. See their "How You Can Help" page.
• If you have a favorite charity, by all means give an extra gift in this season.
Comment?
If you would like to add a comment on this post, click here.
The Daily Psalm
The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.
Sunday, December 24, 2006 
Psalm 89:46
How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?
Prayer
Dear Lord, on this last day of Advent we join the psalmist in asking "How long?"
How long before You will wipe away every tear from the millions of children in this world who have lost their parents because of AIDS?
How long before You will provide food for the hungry?
How long before You bring down the oppressor and raise up the victims of injustice?
How long before You heal broken bodies and mend shattered hearts?
How long before the innocents won't be killed in drive-by shootings?
How long before hatred is consumed by Your love?
How long before You reveal Your glory to those who defame You?
How long before the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ?
How long before Your peace encompasses this world?
O Lord, as we consider the suffering and sorrow of this world, our hearts yearn for You to make things right. We look forward with aching hearts for Your coming in the fullness of Your kingdom.
As we wait, dear Lord, help us
to wipe away the tears of orphaned children,
to feed the hungry,
to seek Your justice and minister to the oppressed,
to be instruments of Your healing,
to stand against senseless violence,
to offer love instead of hate,
to reflect Your glory in this world,
to seek for Your kingdom and righteousness,
to be peacemakers in every aspect of our lives.
By Your grace, may we live as Your Advent people in this world, not just in this season of the year, but every day. To You be all the glory! Amen!
Postscript
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, which also happens to be the last Sunday of Advent, which also happens to be Christmas Eve. Most Christians remain in an Advent mode of expectation until evening, when Christmas celebrations begin. In my church, for example, we light the fourth candle of the Advent wreath in the morning, and then the fifth, Christ candle in our evening services.
Comment?
If you would like to add a comment on this post, click here. |
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If you would like to enjoy a virtual Advent wreath, you can use the picture above. When you click on the correct candle, it will light up. Otherwise, you must be patient. Enjoy.
|
The Daily Psalm
The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Psalm 96:8
Worship the LORD in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.
Prayer
Where is Your holy splendor, Lord Jesus? There You lie, wrapped up in cloth, just like every other newborn. Yet Your bed is a feed trough, about as far from splendor as its gets. Or so it seems.
Yet in Your humility You reveal even more of the astounding glory of God, a God who hasn't remained far above and beyond human suffering, but who has entered into our reality, experiencing our weakness, our frailty, our temptation, and everything else we face, except what it's like to sin. Your splendor, Lord Jesus, is indeed a holy splendor, a splendor set-apart. It's not the glory we human expect, but the glory of God Incarnate.
Seeing You in the manger, what can we do but worship You?
But would the earth tremble before You, a helpless baby, a baby who even lacks a suitable bed? Hardly. The earth would ignore You, or perhaps scorn Your low estate.
The earth has yet to realize who You are and what You have come to do. The One who holds all power in heaven and on earth has become powerless for our sake. The One who created the earth itself has come to restore His creation. The earth should tremble in reverent fear, beholding the mystery of the Incarnation, the beginning of the new creation, the presence of God in its midst.
Help us, Lord Jesus, as we worship You, to glimpse Your unexpected glory, to feel Your power clothed in weakness. Help us to tremble before You this day, in holy fear, in passionate adoration, and in joyful praise. All praise be to You, Jesus, Son of God, Word of God made flesh!
Amen!
Postscript: Psalm 96
1 O sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
The Lighting of the Christ Candle
Finally, after waiting through the week of Advent, we get to light the Christ candle. Go ahead and click on the wick of the center candle to finish the Advent Wreath and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The Daily Psalm
The Daily Psalm is my devotional website. Each day I put up a psalm, a prayer based on that psalm, and some additional input, like a brief commentary or a quotation. I use material from The Daily Psalm on markdroberts.com for Sunday inspiration. |
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Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Psalm 104:1-2
Bless the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
wrapped in light as with a garment.
Prayer
Wrapped in light? Indeed, You are, dear Lord. Yet in this season of Christmas we remember another wrapping: "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." You were wrapped up, dear Jesus, just like any other baby born into Your culture. Just like any other baby, except, of course, for the unsettling humility of Your bed.
How I honor You, my Lord, for Your willingness to put one human clothing, indeed, human nature! You took off Your radiant glory and put on a different glory, a humble glory, a gracious glory.
All praise be to You, Lord Jesus, in Your amazing and surprising glory!
Postscript
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. . . . No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
John 1:14, 18
This marvelous painting by Giotto portrays the "Crib"
of St. Francis: one of the first Nativity scenes/pageants on record.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Psalm 136:26
O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Prayer
On this last day of the calendar year, it seems only right to give You thanks, dear Lord, for You have made Your steadfast love known to me in so many ways this year.
You have given me purpose for living,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
You have forgiven my sin and renewed me in Your love,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
You have surrounded me with loving family and friends,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
You have called me to a wonderful church,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
You have graced me with wise counselors,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
You have reached out to me when I have been discouraged,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
You have blessed me with good health and great adventures,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
You have drawn me closer to Yourself, helping me to walk with You each day,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
And so much more . . . ,
For Your steadfast love endures forever.
How I give You thanks, O God of Heaven,
For Your steadfast love endures forever!
Postscript: Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
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