Day 1

Sunday, November 28

“Shepherd of Israel, listen!
     You, the one who leads Joseph as if he were a sheep.
     You, who are enthroned upon the winged heavenly creatures.
Show yourself before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh!
     Wake up your power!
     Come to save us!
Restore us, God!
     Make your face shine so that we can be saved!”

Psalm 80:1-3

Reflection:
Unsalvageable. Lost cause. Canceled. These human concepts carry no weight in the kingdom of God. In my life, I have done things that I am not proud of. I have hurt others and myself. I have acted recklessly, not caring how it affected other people. Luckily, God’s grace is beyond human comprehension. I must have faith knowing that through God I am redeemed and restored. That there is nothing in my past that can come between me and God’s love for me. This Advent season, I must remind myself of the radical act of God sending us Jesus. That through Jesus, no one is a lost cause, no one is canceled, and everyone can be restored.

Prayer:
God, as I go through the day help me to be aware of your ability to restore me. As I enter the Advent season, relieve me of the burden of past mistakes and allow me to be grateful that you sent your son, Jesus Christ, to redeem me. Amen.


Reflection by Seth Botts