Fourth Week in Advent: Monday

Old Testament Lesson

Zephaniah 3:14-20

He will quiet you with His love. I don’t think I’ve read that passage since college. But, what concept that is, especially now as we are this close to Christmas. We will be busy in this week; shopping, traveling, cooking, working. Our minds get so crowded with thoughts other than God. We must slow down. We must think upon God. We must realize His great love for us. And he will quiet us with His love. He will restore us. He will rejoice over us. Our fortunes have bee restored. God will come to us. Let us be still and know that He is Lord.

New Testament Lesson

Titus 1: 1-16

Paul is giving Titus the instructions for elders upon Crete. He lists the things that we always think about and hear, sound doctrine and the like. But he says that they should not be overbearing. They should have self control. Not quick tempered. If we are going to teach the world about Christ, then we should make sure that our actions do not betray what we say that we believe. He then ends by saying that those who are pure, all is put, but to those that are not, nothing is pure, even their minds and their conscious. That is what sin does. It robs our purity. The old saying “your mind is in the gutter” is true. If you are trapped in sin, you mind will not pure. As Christians we must keep our thought pure, and if they are purity will be all around us. If, however, we are focused on sin, sin is all that we will see.

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1: 1-25

It says that one of John the Baptist’s task is to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children, and in all things prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. Preparation for the Lord’s coming is not always a grand and glorious thing. Sometimes it is merely remembering what is important. That is what John did to prepare Israel for the coming of the Lord. He reminded then what was important; he reminded them of things that they already knew. Life and sin can make us forget. We get so busy at work, we forget our family. We get so busy with church, we forget to worship. We get so busy in life; we forget that He is the way, the truth, and the life. John the Baptist calls us to remember, and calls us to repent. Let us never forget what is truly important, and let our lives and our minds never depart from it.