2017 Advent Devotions

Week 1

Always there is hope

By Dani El Tayar

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  — Romans 15:13, NIV

Consider some of the amazing advances that we humans have made over the years: We can cure many sicknesses, tackle increasingly difficult engineering challenges and connect with people around the globe within fractions of a second. Even more exciting breakthroughs are on the horizon. We have many reasons to be optimistic and full of hope.

But many people find it a challenge to be hopeful — perhaps because of pain they experience or evil that has been done to them. Others find it a difficult journey to become free of jealousy, greed, bitterness and resentment. Too often, our daily lives are pregnant with bad news, ongoing strife, constant challenges, concerns, worries and discouragement. 

This Advent season, we can help turn the world away from despair and toward the vision of better days. Advent is a time to proclaim that our God—the author of all hope—can bring healing to a hurting world.   

During the coming weeks, let us focus on how hope culminated when Christ entered our world. May we be filled with anticipation as we celebrate the incarnation of Christ, Immanuel (Matthew 1:21-23). And as we await the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ when he returns in glory, it is the certainty that God is in and with us — working in our lives now, in this present moment — that brings us hope that is overflowing with unspeakable joy. 

Prayer

Lord, turn our eyes on You and Your promises of forgiveness, healing, protection, redemption, love, compassion, renewal, righteousness and justice. May we look not to ourselves, but to You — trusting that the promise You made is the true hope that can save the world. Show us ways that we may be beacons of hope for others. Amen.

Questions

• What things do you hope for this Advent season?
• Are those culturally defined? Are any of the things you seek rooted in flawed sources of hope? 
• Tell about some times when you have been frustrated because you tried to be in control of your life. What happened?
• Are you willing to allow Christ, our Immanuel, to take control of your life, healing the past, mending the present and taking charge of the future? What is your prayer?

Dani El Tayar is the national director of Habitat for Humanity Lebanon.

Advent wreath

Read about celebrating the four Sundays before Christmas with an Advent wreath.

Week 2

He came to show love — and left love

By Ronald Ongopa

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.” — Luke 6:32, NIV

In this second week of Advent, as we journey closer to celebrating the coming of our Savior and King, we are going to explore what Jesus said about love — specifically love for our enemies. While meditating on the Scripture above, I tried to think about a personal enemy. None came to mind, but I did begin to think about politicians and governments. I thought of the untold suffering that some of our governments, especially in Africa, have caused their citizenry. Some of our governments might best be described as the people’s enemy. They have reduced great populations to servitude and ceased to be stewards of resources they hold in trust by their positions.

So why, Lord, I had always asked, would you ask me to love such people in power when all that they do is contrary to love? How conceivable is that?

I have since found in Scripture many reasons to love my enemies, with these two passages about the birth and death of Jesus being the most profound:

1. Jesus’ birth: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16, NIV

2. Jesus’ death: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” — Luke 23:34, NIV

In His coming — despite who He knew me to be — Jesus loved me. In His departure — despite what I did to Him — in love, He forgave me! Today, I freely give of the same love because He loved! That’s what Habitat for Humanity is all about: demonstrating the love of Jesus.

Prayer 

Lord, teach us to love our enemies and to do good to them. Help us make Your way of loving our way. May the truth You taught and demonstrated be what defines us, and may the life You lived be our daily aspiration. Amen.

Questions

• Loving your enemy is easier said than done. Describe a difficult situation in which you have been called to love your enemy.
• In light of what you just read, how would you respond to that situation now?
• How have you seen Habitat for Humanity bring together people who might consider one another enemies (or at least people who might never otherwise associate with one another)?
• What one thing will you do this week to show love to someone who is difficult to love?  

Ronald Ongopa is the manager of donor relations for Habitat for Humanity Europe, Middle East and Africa. He lives in Kampala, Uganda.

Advent wreath

Read about celebrating the four Sundays before Christmas with an Advent wreath.

Week 3

Did we forget to pack our joy?

By David Wilson

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. — Matthew 2:9-10, NIV

You are running late, rushing to work or an appointment, and become frantic because you can’t find your keys. You search everywhere — in between the couch cushions, under chairs, maybe even in the refrigerator. Or think about the panic that sets in when you realize you have left your cell phone at home. You begin to imagine how many calls or text messages were missed. What if something happened with the kids?

Think for a moment about situations like these and how often we lose our joy.

In this third week of Advent, we focus on Matthew 2:1-11, the story of the Magi visiting baby Jesus. Consider that the wise men had never seen Jesus. They were unsure of what to expect, yet they traveled with exceeding joy (verse 10).

Typically, it’s our memory of a joyful experience that prepares us to look for that happy encounter again. This was not the case with the wise men. It seems they simply had a positive perception as they traveled to meet Jesus. Think about the way people perceive Habitat for Humanity. Our reputation has often attracted people from all over the world who perceive that helping others will bring them joy.

Second, the wise men took advantage of Jesus’ presence and worshipped him. I can’t explain it, but there is an internal exchange when we practice being in the presence of God. It was obvious that a Christ atmosphere touched humanity in a special way. Habitat continues to make God present in actions all around the world.

Finally, I noticed that when the wise men set out to find the Messiah and worship him, they were persuaded to bring gifts. It wasn’t about them! I am always grateful when I recognize an opportunity to serve someone else. People rarely forget being an unexpected recipient of generosity. This sounds a lot like Habitat; we exist to serve, with the hope of changing lives for the greater!

Joy will always be accessible when you take time to perceive the value of Christ, practice His presence and become persuaded to enhance someone else’s life.

Prayer

Father, I pray for a thankful heart that is able to consider and remember how faithful and present You have been throughout my life. Use me today to show kindness that brings a smile to the faces and joy to the hearts of those I encounter. May we turn to Your presence to experience joy and peace that is worth talking about — joy and peace that fill us with hopeful expectation.

Questions

• What are three creative acts of kindness you can demonstrate this week that will surely provide joy for someone else?
• Can you remember a time when you experienced a situation that challenged your ability to maintain your joy? How were you able to find your joy in the face of your adversity?
• What will you do during the remainder of the Advent season to experience the joy of the present and persuasive Jesus?

David Wilson is a support specialist in the Affiliate Support Center in Americus, Georgia.

Advent wreath

Read about celebrating the four Sundays before Christmas with an Advent wreath.

Week 4

The Gospel of peace

By Pastor Jacob George

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Christ), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. — Colossians 1:19-20, NIV

George had spent the early part of his life with his parents in the upcountry tea gardens of Sri Lanka. Advent never brought great memories of peace, as celebrations were largely confined to his dad and companions engaging in drunken revelry while he, his mom and his siblings were only mute spectators.      

Peace eventually took on new meaning and shape, however, during his tenure with a Libyan company in Delhi. George had been assigned the task of upgrading the liaison office to a branch office. Despite his completing all required formalities, progress was indefinitely delayed because of a complex system, and George refused to make compromises. The management wasn’t impressed with his explanations and abruptly decided to close down the office.

George was in shock. In attempting to come to terms with his predicament, he concluded that there was some unconfessed sin in his life, and the consequence of that sin was taking its toll. That feeling prompted him to go into a mode of sincere repentance, as he had never done before. Over the next few days, George’s experiences were overwhelming. Not understanding completely what was happening in his life, he read the holy Scriptures and realized that he had been “born again.” This brought him to two unmistakable conclusions:

• No Advent was complete without Christ being born in one’s life.
• No matter what hardships one faced, redeemed sinners can ask for a peace that comes from the powerful love of God, independent of our own strength or the situation around us.

As we continue to prepare for the birth of Jesus during this Advent season, let us be mindful that peace is a key focus as announced by the angels in Luke 2:14. Isaiah also prophesied that the Messiah would be the Prince of Peace, revealing that in the person and work of this newborn child, peace — the ultimate reconciler — would be found. And Paul reiterates this message of peace through Christ’s atonement in the opening Scripture of this devotion.

Habitat for Humanity is committed to ensuring that everyone has a decent home, which affects health, education, safety and security. The stability that a home brings can result in peace and harmony for families and communities. May we focus on the amazing gift of peace that Jesus provides in our hearts.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, during this Advent season, enable us to share the gospel of peace and become ministers of reconciliation.

Questions

• When you read about the appearance of the angels in Luke 2:8-14, and when you read Isaiah 9:6, what is the message of peace that you hear?
• Describe a time when you experienced a very personal peace that came from Jesus.
• How, in a troubled world, do you experience the atoning peace of Jesus that Paul describes in Colossians 1:19-20?
• Seventeenth century Catholic priest and poet Angelus Silesius wrote, “Were Christ born a thousand times in Bethlehem, and not in thee, thou are lost eternally.” What does this say to you in this Advent season? In the way we tell the story of Jesus’ birth? In the way we share the gospel of peace?

Pastor Jacob George is the senior adviser for public relations at Habitat for Humanity India.

Advent week

Advent is the beginning of the church year, when we prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming. Advent is observed during the four Sundays before Christmas and concludes on Christmas Eve. Many people celebrate this time of preparation by using an Advent wreath with four candles surrounded by evergreens to symbolize the eternity of God. One large white candle in the center is known as the Christ candle.

• The first candle is lit on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and, in many traditions, represents hope. 
• The second candle is lit on the third Sunday before Christmas and, in many traditions, represents love.
• The third candle is lit on the second Sunday before Christmas and, in many traditions, represents joy. It is also known as the shepherd candle.
• The fourth candle is lit on the Sunday before Christmas and, in many traditions, represents peace.