Fourth Week in Advent: Wednesday

Old Testament Lesson

2 Samuel 7: 1-17

David, after his battles seem to be over, after he has set up his House in Jerusalem says that it is not right for him to have this palace and the Lord to only have a tent. He tells the Lord that He desires to build him this house and through Nathan the Lord replies. He tells David that it is not who will build the Lord’s house; rather it is the Lord that will build David’s. There will come a son after David that will build the Lord’s Temple and God would be with him. It was not God’s will for David to do it. Sometimes, what we think we need to do and what God wills for us to do are very different things. Just because we think we should do it does not mean that it is God’s will. David had good intentions, and really did want to build for the Lord this temple, but that is not what the Lord willed. Are we willing to listen to God, and do as He wills, even if it is different than what we want, and even if what we want is a good thing? For it is not our will that must be done, but God’s will that must be done. David was faithful to God and loved God, and God blessed not only him but his children and through is the descendant of David, as well as God’s own son, Jesus, he blessed us each.

New Testament Lesson

Titus 2: 11-3: 8

It is God’s grace that allows us to say no to sin and be self controlled. Titus talks a lot about self control, primarily because the island of Crete had so little self control, and the Christians there must be disciplined and show the power of God. They must not get caught up in the sin of their land. They must have undivided hearts of love towards God. So must we. We must not get caught up in the ways and sin and pride of our culture, but rather cling tightly to God. And that takes control, and that control can come only through the grace of Our Lord. He goes on in chapter three to say that we were once enslaved to our passions, we were once enslaved to our sins, but we have been saved and set free, and we should live like it. We must remember that we were once lost, but we have been set free. We are called to be different than the world. We are not called to live like the world, for it is by the power of God that we have been saved. We did not save ourselves; God saved us. We should live with thanks and obedience to God, who made us His own.

Gospel Lesson

Luke 1: 39-56

This is Mary’s song of praise to God for what God is doing for her and for the entire world. He exalted Mary for she was humble. It is God that lifts up the lowly. It is God that cares for the poor and the needy. His mercy is upon those that need him, but the proud God sends away. It all comes down to understanding that we need him. If we think we can do it on our own, then we will are wrong and there is nothing the Lord can do for us. But, if we understand that we are needy, that we are poor, that we need Him, then we can know his strength. But, that requires humbling ourselves and admitting that we do need him. Until we can humbly approach God, we won’t know the power of His Spirit. The world teaches us that the way to strength is through power and being tough, the Word teaches us that strength is through humbling, through understating our weakness, and understanding that in our weakness, God’s strength is make perfect. How do we see strength today? Through the world, or through God. For only through God can we know real strength. Mary was humble, and the Lord strengthened her to sing this song of praise. For words of praise to come from our mouths, we must admit our need, and we must find His grace.