Christian Reflection and Prayer

(Day 8 of Advent)

Scripture:

Read Genesis 3:1-19. TEXT: He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heal (see Genesis 3:15).

Adam and Eve adored God, loved each other, and
enjoyed perfect harmony with all God's creatures. God
set only one limit on them: He commanded them not to
eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil. Created in God's image they already knew all there
was to know about "good." Their loving Father wanted to
spare them from learning about evil.

Sadly, evil had already reared its ugly head in heaven.
One of God's holy angels turned against Him and led
many fellow angels to rise up in rebellion. Unable to
defeat God, Satan turned to destroy the humans God
loved. He took the form of a serpent and in great cunning
and deceit convinced Eve she would become like God if
she ate the forbidden fruit. Adam was there and saw
through the deceit. Unfortunately, instead of protecting
his beloved wife, he watched her eat; then he took the
fruit from her hand and ate it himself.

This simple act of disobedience shattered the perfect
peace of creation, filling it with famine and plague,
suffering, disease and death. At the same time it
plunged Adam and Eve and all of their descendants into
sin and death. Every day we see the fruits of their
disobedience: crime, violence and war.

God had every right and reason to condemn lost
mankind, wipe us off the face of His earth, and start
again. Instead, He came up with a rescue plan centered
on His Son becoming one of Adam and Eve's offspring: a
Man who would destroy Satan's work and remove the
curse on mankind.

THE PRAYER:

Holy Father, each of us deserves nothing but Your wrath
and punishment for our sinfulness. Yet in mercy You
planned to send Your own Son to save us. For His sake
forgive our sins, and fill us with Your perfect peace. In
Jesus' Name. Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

(Day 7 of Advent)

Scripture:

Read Genesis 2:4-23.

TEXT: The Lord God formed the man of dust from the
ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living creature (Genesis 2:7).

Reflection:

"All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:3).
The Son of God rejoiced in the beautiful world that
was made through Him: the rugged mountains, green
hills and lush valleys, the gently flowing streams, the
winding rivers, the deep, blue lakes, and the spacious
oceans. He reveled in the amazing beauty of flowers,
plants and trees that spread through His forests and
meadows. He relished the birds soaring across the
skies, the fish teeming through the waters, and the
animals covering the land.

But to reach its full potential it needed humanity's
touch. So God formed Adam from the dust of the
earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
 Adam and Eve bore the image of God: perfect and
holy, gentle, loving and good. They were full of
creativity and passion, and they enjoyed a perfect
balance of emotional and mental health. They were
here to improve God's world-to tend and keep it, to
prune it, and make it more fruitful and beautiful.

God intended us to pass the days of our life in this
perfect paradise where sickness, suffering and death
were to be unknown. Sadly, because of their
disobedience that paradise was lost. But because of
the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
we can be confident this creation will be restored to
an eternal, perfect paradise when He returns on the
Last Day.

THE PRAYER:

Holy Lord, You created a paradise and the perfect
people to tend and keep it. Thank You for coming to
our fallen world to restore us by Your birth, death and
resurrection. Come quickly to restore us and Your
creation. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

(Day 6 of Advent)

Scripture:


Read John 12:35-36. TEXTS: The earth was without form
and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. ...
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light
(see Genesis 1:2-3).

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men
(John 1:4).

Reflection:

We're walking down the sidewalk on a dark and dreary
December night. We tighten our collars and lean into
the blustery wind as the cold bites our cheeks. Then
someone throws a switch. In the twinkling of an eye
the darkness is shattered by thousands of brilliant
Christmas lights that warm our hearts and fill us
with childlike joy.

At the very beginning the world was shrouded in
deep darkness. Then the Word spoke, "Let there be
light." Instantly, beautiful light burst forth over the
newly formed earth and the darkness was gone.

On the sixth day God placed our first parents in a
beautiful, abundant paradise. But Adam and Eve
plunged our world into the darkness of sin, guilt
and misery by eating the fruit God had forbidden.
As their children we are all born in the darkness of
sin. We grope our way blindly through this life
unable to find our own way back to God. 

But God did not leave us in darkness. The Word
who first spoke and scattered the darkness comes
to shine His light into our hearts. He shows us
God's love and forgiveness, and promises us all
the joys and delights of the eternal paradise He
won for us by His perfect life, death and
resurrection. He is our light shining through the
darkness and in the shadow of our death.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for lighting my darkness,
forgiving my sins, and promising me eternal life
in Your presence. Scatter the darkness that still
clings to me, and cheer me with Your light.
Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)