Advent Devotional 2021
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“‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’” Luke 19:17 (NLT)
I can remember, long ago, when I was a child, our neighbors would often travel at Christmas time. Some of our neighbors had children they would spend the holidays with and others who just wanted to get out of the foggy valley.
And since my family always stayed home at Christmas, I can remember our neighbors asking us if we would take care of their homes while they were away; water any house plants, feed the pets, etc. And, as the youngest in the family, that task of caring for the neighbor’s house often became my chore.
One of the things I learned from that task was, this was not my house, it was the neighbor’s house. These were the neighbor’s plants. These were the neighbor’s pets. Just because I was taking care of the place did not make it mine.
And I was expected to do a good job because . . . one day the neighbors were going to return. They did not want to come home to dead plants and pets. They were trusting me to do my very best.
In Luke 19:11-27 we see Jesus reminding us of that truth, these things you and I watch over; our time, our possessions, our families, our talents . . ., these things do not belong to us, we are simply caring for that which has been entrusted to us by God.
God expects us to do our very best as we watch over all he has entrusted to us. He expects us to use these things, as he directs and for his glory. He wants us to remember it belongs to him, we are simply taking care of it.
And since my family always stayed home at Christmas, I can remember our neighbors asking us if we would take care of their homes while they were away; water any house plants, feed the pets, etc. And, as the youngest in the family, that task of caring for the neighbor’s house often became my chore.
One of the things I learned from that task was, this was not my house, it was the neighbor’s house. These were the neighbor’s plants. These were the neighbor’s pets. Just because I was taking care of the place did not make it mine.
And I was expected to do a good job because . . . one day the neighbors were going to return. They did not want to come home to dead plants and pets. They were trusting me to do my very best.
In Luke 19:11-27 we see Jesus reminding us of that truth, these things you and I watch over; our time, our possessions, our families, our talents . . ., these things do not belong to us, we are simply caring for that which has been entrusted to us by God.
God expects us to do our very best as we watch over all he has entrusted to us. He expects us to use these things, as he directs and for his glory. He wants us to remember it belongs to him, we are simply taking care of it.
Prayer focus: Wisdom for how to help others
Community prayer focus: Teachers in our community
Community prayer focus: Teachers in our community
Favorite Christmas Song
One of my favorite Christmas songs is, “Mary Did You Know?“ I love it because it is a vivid reminder that Jesus entered this world like any other baby. Mary would not have known that night the great love, healing power, and ultimate salvation that embodied her son’s divine nature, the great I Am. While her greatest joy would become her deepest sorrow, her trust in God had already been tested, and she was found faithful.
Cheryl Collins
One of my favorite Christmas songs is, “Mary Did You Know?“ I love it because it is a vivid reminder that Jesus entered this world like any other baby. Mary would not have known that night the great love, healing power, and ultimate salvation that embodied her son’s divine nature, the great I Am. While her greatest joy would become her deepest sorrow, her trust in God had already been tested, and she was found faithful.
Cheryl Collins
