Standing Firm

Saturday, December 6, 2014                                                                       Psalm 90

Julie Wilson

As my family enjoys Advent and prepares for Christmas, the passages for this Advent devotion strike me as hard to “enjoy”.  They are not the warm fuzzy of Luke 2:8-14 (our daughter calls these the Charlie Brown movie verses), or the beauty of Mary’s Song.  Nope.  The Luke verse for today is about the end times and being thrown into prison!  There are no shepherds or a baby Jesus – even the Isaiah verse references ‘washing away the blood of Zion’.  Sheesh. 

So, these verses force me to push through the wispy, hot chocolate-scented clouds and the plucky harp of my Christmas CDs and ponder different matters.

                 

Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses.  The psalmist writes about God’s passionate anger:  “We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.  You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sings in the light of your presence.  All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.”  Where is the grace?  Where is the promise? 

Reading these verses over and over again makes me hunger for the birth of Jesus.  It makes me long for a savior who brings a gospel and a way of life that allows for redemption here on earth.  Jesus issues a frightening challenge in Luke:  “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.  You will betrayed…and they will put some of you to death.  All men will hate you because of me.  But not a hair of your head will perish.  By standing firm, you will gain life.”  

So today, my question for you and me is this:  How do we stand firm for Christ?  How do we demonstrate our faith even when it’s hard or embarrassing?  We are surrounded by a secular holiday of Santa Claus and reindeer.  We’re exhausted by shopping and lists.  These self-inflicted problems pale in comparison to a life without Jesus.  Today, let’s resolve to stand firm in our faith and witness to the incredible love we gained through His sacrifice.

Prayer: Lord, help me to stand firm.  Guide me to witness to the ministry of your son whose birth and life and death make all things possible.  Help me keep my outward actions and word consistent with the message of your son.  Amen.