Advent Devotional – December 19

Advent Week 3: Joy

December 19

Psalm 131, NRSV

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,

   my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

   too great and too marvellous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

   like a weaned child with its mother;

   my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

   from this time on and for evermore.

I love Christmas!  I love the giving and the receiving!  I love sharing good surprises with family and friends.  There is no better time each year than the week of Christmas.

My main gift request of my adult children is an hour of table time to just talk with me about life, their lives, their dreams.  My preference is that they don’t spend money they don’t have on things that I really don’t need.  Please don’t think me noble or arrogant; this is just me trying to be real, simple, uncluttered!

This Psalm really sums up what is in my heart.  I desire simplicity.  My soul thirsts for the uncluttered life.  I want to be still, to be quiet, to focus on the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christmas.

Too many of us need to wean ourselves from the busyness and noise of life.  Too many of us need to wean ourselves from the complexities of life.  Too many of us need to unclutter our minds and souls and to meet the Babe of Bethlehem again.

So, don’t overindulge this Advent season.  Don’t over-decorate, over-eat, over-spend!  Seek simplicity, perhaps the best gift under the tree is an hour around the table!

Prayer: God, help me to unclutter my life this Advent season.  Help me to seek simplicity and to focus more on you and less on myself.  Help me to spend more time with people I love.

Bo Prosser is Coordinator of Organization Relationships for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship National.