Advent Devotion, 12/8/22
PSALM 122
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” 2 Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4 That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the Lord—to praise the name of the Lord according to the statute given to Israel. 5 There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” 8 For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.
For a season, I attended a church where we “passed the peace” at the beginning of every Sunday morning worship service. After hearing the invitation, I turn and say “Peace of Christ be with you” and in return, the four- year-old sitting next to me responds with gusto, “Pizza crust be with you.”
Psalm 122 reminds us that this peace that passes all understanding is not only a worthy companion but an anchor for my soul. Yet too often I am disconnected from this peace and disconnected from my longings and needs. There are days when I live off of coffee refills instead of rest, comfort, connection, refreshment, assurance. The Psalms reveal our deepest needs if we listen carefully. Do you hear them? Security, peace, connection, solidarity, assurance, and more. I can relate to these needs as I find myself in a busy season, longing for rest, desiring peace, and hungry for connection with my kids, my husband, and my God. This is how we participate in Advent. We trust that God is better at this than we are, and so we’re rejecting self-sufficiency as a way of coping.
REFLECT
What are your needs? Can you imagine God receiving them, just as God receives the deep needs of the psalmists?
PRAY
Jesus, I confess my self-sufficiency and I long for rest, refreshment, peace, and connection. Amen.
ADVENT PLAYLIST SONG
“Joy Will Come,” Paul Zach, “Eternal Light – EP”
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