November 29 Advent Devotional

Monday, November 29

Psalm 25:1-10

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

The long weekend is over, family has gone home, the leftovers have dwindled, and it is as if there is something extra in the air. Excitement? Perhaps, but maybe not quite yet. Anxiety? No, not yet – the To Dos and the Buckets lists are still in rough drafts, and the calendar is just starting to fill. Anticipation? Yes, but of the very best kind - HOPE.

This year’s Advent journey is just beginning, and we are full of hope. Hope that this will be the year we see all the people and do all the things. Hope that this will be the year we cross everything off the list *before* the deadline. Hope that this will be the most magical and meaningful year yet.

Yet what if, right at the very beginning, we decide that we want hope to feel a bit different this year? What if we decide that changes to the status quo and new traditions are not as jolting as they once seemed? What if we decide that the changes the past two years have wrought have led us to a different perspective on Advent and away from needs we perhaps felt during Advents past? What if we want to dig into that hope that God gives us and leave the lists, the calendars, and the magic making on the periphery of what matters the most?

Let’s say yes to that and trust in Him to show us the way.

Dear Heavenly Father, as we anticipate the arrival of Jesus, turn us to a hope that is grounded in You. Show us the way, teach us Your path, and lead us in Your truth. Help us to lean into the hope You hold for us instead of the hope we create for ourselves.

Mandy Hill