Advent: Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Old Testament Lesson

Amos 3:1-11

In this passage the Lord tells us that He does nothing without first letting His people know what is happening. One of the gifts that God has given us is that He wants us to cooperate with His plan and what He is doing. So, to do this, He lets us know what He is going to do. In this passage He is warning about coming judgement, saying, have I not told you what I plan on doing?

But, in our lives, if we will watch, and listen, and pray, we will see what He is going to do. We just have make ourselves aware, and discipline ourselves to be looking. If we do this, then He will surly let us know what His plans for us are.

New Testament Lesson

2 Peter 1:12-21

One of the truths we see in scripture is the need to be reminded of things. In this passage we are told that we will keep being reminded of what has been taught and seen in the past. That's a good thing. Sometimes life can be so busy that we can forget. We can forget God's grace, God's call, God's plan. So, we need to be reminded.

I've always like the last verse of that old hymn, "I Love to Tell the Story."

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

Just because we've heard it before; we all need to be reminded of that great story.

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 21:12-22

One of the more amazing things that we see in scripture, in my opinion, is that those that opposed Jesus got mad when He helped people. They would get mad when He would heal the blind, or cure the sick, or raise the dead. Why?

They got mad because He didn't do it the way that they felt like it should have been done. He didn't do it by their rules in their way. Isn't that sad, to get mad when good is done?

Sometimes, thought, if we are not careful, we can fall into the same trap. God may be doing something good in our lives, but it is not done the way that we'd like for it do be done. And, we can sometimes get mad. Remember, in this life, to look at the good being done, and not always focus on whether its done the way that we like or not.