Walking through life’s fire
Never to blindly stumble—
God always walks close
Darkness testing faith
Patiently trusting Father—
Accepting His plan
Holy Spirit seeks
Guiding tongues in bringing forth—
Pure and blessed speech
From Zephaniah 3:14-15: “Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, He has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.”
Looking inward, changing selves
Repenting, reversing course
Searching for life’s cherished peace
Joy spreads from Bethlehem’s source
Reading, praying, reflecting
Preparing our minds and hearts
Beaming starlight in dark times
Joy brightens, world seeks restart
Rejoicing always, Lord is near
Restoring fortunes, Prince of Peace
Renewing tomorrow’s hope
Joy transcends Father’s new lease
Trusting in God’s promises
Waiting with welcoming grace
Singing praises, justice calls
Joy blossoms in this birthplace
Proclaiming mercy-filled peace
Glowing, rising midnight sun
Igniting life’s dormant faith
Joy worships birth of God’s Son
You are invited to join in prayer: Lord God, your love and mercy promise hope, joy, and peace. During this season of Advent, open our hearts in preparation to receive our Savior. Amen.
“Joy to the World” is frequently sung during the Advent and Christmas season. Written in 1719 by English minister and hymn writer, Isaac Watts, this hymn has been a favorite for well over 100 years in North America.
“I will hold you up,” God says. When you lean on another person or another thing, your focus is sideways, not vertical. Human crutches paralyze the walk of faith.
From Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.”
The Lord wants us to lay down our ways of figuring things out and instead to walk by faith.
From 2 Corinthians 5:6-7: “So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
From John 16:20: “Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.”
Frightened, behind closed doors
Sorrowful tears cry out
Yesterday, filled with light
Today, darkness brings doubt
Disciples and others
Bewildered and scattered
Christ’s death crushes spirit
Faith’s fragileness shattered
No place to run toward
Trapped and shut-off from God
Tomorrow’s hope now gone
What makes this picture flawed?
Peter, John, and Mary
Cold, empty tomb proclaims
Resurrection witnessed
Evil’s planning in flames
Sorrow turning to joy
Messiah comes to save
Bloodied cross bears man’s sins
Chains no longer enslave
From John 20:18: “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that He had said these things to her.”
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What is so special about simple rain?
Have you truly witnessed God’s gift of rain?
Everywhere, anticipation of rain
Withering crops crave God’s rainfall today
Farmers wait faithfully for rains to come
Without rain, hearts and plants start to decay
The farmland depends on these vital rains
Last year, little rain arrives to help out
Sunny skies chase away clouds too often
“Next year” cries out from thirsty lands of drought
Farmers sow their spring crops on faith alone
Waiting for nature to moisten the ground
Praying to the Lord, asking for His rain
Rain arrives, new life rising skyward bound
God sends righteousness, in the form of rain
Fulfilling prayers, easing farmers’ pain
From Isaiah 45:8: “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the skies rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation may spring up, and let it cause righteousness to sprout up also; I the Lord have created it.”
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From Psalm 37:23-24: “Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”
God wants us to succeed today
Asking for our patience and trust
Allowing faith to rebuild hope
Studying from His Word, we must
Always trusting in our Father
Bringing us guidance and His love
Achieving good through His name
Touching hearts, His joy sings above
We are never forsaken, never
Leading, God offers direction
Finding the means, moving forward
Meeting trials with reflection
The wicked gather all around
Following the Enemy’s lies
Causing God to judge their follies
Coming Judgment Day will apprise
Our Savior’s coming, all waiting
Receiving God’s Grace, what a gift
The Lord standing with the righteous
Accepting His plan, lives not adrift
We may still misstep and stumble
Preventing us from falling down
Reaching out, God’s hand guiding us
Fleeing, the thirsty Enemy frowns
Through His Word, the Father blesses
Giving generously, all with love
Choosing Jesus, Salvation comes
Seeking God’s guidance, from above
From the words of Dutch priest, writer, and theologian Henri Nouwen: “A spiritual discipline is necessary in order to move slowly from an absurd to an obedient life, from a life filled with noisy worries to a life in which there is some free inner space where we can listen to our God and follow His guidance.”
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We must, without apology, without fear, without ceasing, preach and practice our beliefs, carrying them out to the point of suffering.
From Galatians 5:25: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”
Faith is like a tender plant, rooted in Christ alone, watered by the Spirit and the Word, strengthened by the winds of adversity and the sunshine of blessing.
From Isaiah 53:2: “For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”
From Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
During childhood years
Hearing about God
Stories filling ears
Joining with His squad
Years moving along
Learning about God
Life fills with His song
Accepting His rod
Adulthood arrives
Discovering God
His message now thrives
Walking on fresh sod
Maturity comes
Truly knowing God
Steady, beating drum
Crashing sin’s facade
Divine hands rebuild
Spirit calling out
Righteousness refilled
Taking Heaven’s route
From Philippians 3:15-16: “Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.”
Big Sky Buckeye 