Advent Daybook, 12: Trust and Do Good
An Advent daybook for these 24 days of prayerful expectation. Join me, won't you?
For an introduction read this post: Advent Daybook explained. You can see previous Advent daybook 2018 posts here.
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Look: A violinist plays in the rubble of Jonah’s tomb, Muhammad Hamed
Ameen Mukdad, a violinist who lived under so-called Islamic State for two-and-a-half years, performs at Nabi Yunus, a shrine in eastern Mosul, Iraq, following liberation, 2017. MUHAMMAD HAMED / REUTERS (source)
Listen: “Carol of the Birds” from Christmas Songs, Fernando Ortega -
This gorgeous tune is a traditional Catalonian carol. Read here for the rich history of what's been called "the most beautiful music created by man".
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Read: Psalm 37, Isaiah 7:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Luke 22:1-13
Excerpts:
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.
The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance.
But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found.
Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
*
”And the Lord said to Isaiah ‘Go out to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-jashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Washer’s Field. And say to him, ‘Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because ... Because Syria, with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, has devised evil against you, saying, ‘Let us go up against Judah and terrify it, and let us conquer it for ourselves, and set up the son of Tabeel as king in the midst of it,’ thus says the Lord God:
’It shall not stand,
and it shall not come to pass. ...
If you are not firm in faith,
you will not be firm at all.’”
*
”Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
*
”Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.
Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.”
Sunday Scripture readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary (Year C). Daily Scripture readings are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Year 1).
Pray:
“God of timeless grace, you fill us with joyful expectation. Make us ready for the message that prepares the way, that with uprightness of heart and holy joy we may eagerly await the kingdom of your Son, Jesus Christ, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.”
Do:
Do Good
Help Syrian farmers dig out from war and drought.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” (Ps. 37:3)
On Giving Tuesday, the relief organization Preemptive Love launched a “yearlong effort to help Syrian families in Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor—two of the most war-ravaged parts of Syria—come home to their farms and provide for themselves again. To throw off the chains of displacement and dependence.
The vision for the campaign is to tackle “one of the root causes of this conflict—so the families we serve will never be left vulnerable again”. The campaign intends to help Syrian families remake their homes by planting crops, raising livestock, and cultivating mushrooms (a a good crop for Aleppo families living where the earth is still strewn with mines).
You can give to the campaign here.
While you’re at the site, browse the beautiful shop of refugee-made items, perfect for gifts.
click photo to get to donation page
(See all Advent Daybook posts from 2017 here.)