TOPIC: 2nd Sunday of Advent
TODAY’S READING
Isaiah 9:1-7
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
This Christmas I will seek unity with the people around me.
PRAYER FOCUS
For unity at Christmas
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. – Luke 2:14 (KJV)
In Sri Lanka, the island nation where I was born, Christmas is celebrated by all people regardless of their background or religion. When we read Luke 2:14, we see that no one is excluded. Christmas is an invitation to everyone to hear the good news of Jesus’ birth.
Long before the first Christmas, Jesus’ birth was predicted by the prophet Isaiah. And in Matthew 1:23 we read that in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, Jesus is to be called Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” In these scary and confusing times, the word Emmanuel resonates powerfully in my soul. God is with us all!
Christmas offers us a time to focus on the nature of God, the goodness of creation, the sacredness of all people, and the ways the holy and the secular mingle. God is with us in joy and sorrow, in poverty and wealth, in waking and in sleeping. God makes us merry, bears our pain, keeps our peace, and reconciles us. God is truly with us always.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Eternal God, thank you for giving us Emmanuel, a reminder of your everlasting presence. Help us to see you in every part of creation in this holy season. Amen.
READ: Joseph Prince Devotional – 4 December 2022 | Believe in a God of Grace
Thank you for reading The Upper Room Daily Devotional – 4th December 2022. Encourage someone today by sharing this Gospel.
