Advent 20 - The Gift of Scripture
By Anne Le Tissier
A little over forty years ago I received God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus. That adds up to more than forty Decembers of reflecting on Advent related scriptures; Old Testament prophecies of his birth and New Testament narratives describing Mary, Joseph, an innkeeper, shepherds, a feeding trough, wise men from the East and exile to Egypt. In fact, even before I knew Jesus personally, some of these Bible passages had been recited in school carol services, embedding themselves in my consciousness from an early age. But therein lies a potential problem. Have the familiar childhood stories, quaint Christmas card images and years of hearing or rereading these chapters, lessened my expectation to discern what God might reveal through them today?
The Bible isn’t mere typeset on a page. It is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16); it is “alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12). Consequently, God’s gift of Scripture is as relevant to my life today as it was for its earliest recipients, to teach, correct, disciple and transform me to be more like Jesus. As another Advent unfolds, I am therefore taking care that familiarity doesn’t tempt me to hastily skim read these stories or distract me from the response God seeks for my current season of life. And so, I’ve learned to dwell with just one verse from an Advent passage for a day or for longer as the Holy Spirit prompts.
Take for example, Elizabeth’s exclamation on realising Mary was pregnant with God’s Messiah: “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!” (Luke 1:45). Reflecting on this verse rather than racing on with the story, we are reminded of its reassuring promise that we will be “blessed” as we trust in God’s promises. Dependent trust will infuse us with peace, assurance, satisfaction, contentment, inner strength and more, dispelling any doubts or discouragement that weigh us down. In turn, God may nudge us to actively, rather than passively, respond in faith.
Some promises in Scripture relate to us all, especially those affirming God’s character, ways, purposes and his empowering to serve his Kingdom. Other scriptural promises, however, might be pertinent to our particular situation. Or perhaps we are waiting on a promise that was given to us prophetically. Whatever promise God is prompting us to believe in, as we dwell with Luke 1:45, trusting God for its fulfilment, God will guide our response. It may simply be to wait patiently, or else he may use this season of waiting to refine our character and develop our gifts.
Whether you reflect on this or another Advent verse, to dwell with it means to carry it into your day, reflecting on it, praying into it and in turn, listening to how God may speak into a relationship, problem or particular situation. And whether you are new to the faith or have been reading Advent passages for years, dwelling with just one Advent verse will help you engage with the author of this wondrous story, discern his personal messages to your soul, experience the power of his life-giving word and make way for it to come alive in and through you.
Dwell
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