A WORD FOR TODAY, December 2, 2021
Peggy Hoppes
We pray you have been blessed by this daily devotion. If you received it from a friend, you can see other devotions and studies by visiting our website at www.awordfortoday.org.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, December 2, 2021
“No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13, WEB
Advent is often called a little Lent; it is a time when we are meant to look at our lives and consider ways God is transforming us. Just like during Lent, many of us commit to practices that help us focus our thoughts on God and the coming of Jesus. I always choose a devotional of some sort and I do different types of countdown activities. We willingly and willfully quench our thirst for God, committing to a journey we know will end. Though these disciplines have the potential to bring some change to our lives, we don’t really use it as a time to grow closer to God.
I am a little late with my writing today because I have been working on decorating my house. I had the carpets cleaned yesterday, so I was up early this morning putting the furniture back where it belongs. I was tired when I sat down at the computer, and by the time I did some other work I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I took a nap, did some decorating, and then went to the store to pick up a few things I needed to finish. I put my shopping away, started my dinner and did some decorating. Then I suddenly remembered that I never did my writing!
But isn’t that the way it is for us at this time of year? There is so much going on that it is easy to miss something. We forget to rest. I have even forgotten to eat! The worst part is that we are so caught up in making everything perfect for the holidays, that we forget to spend time with God.
This is common to all people. Really. I think sometimes we start to feel guilty because we look at our neighbors and think they are so much better Christians than we are. We struggle because we know we should be more focused during our devotional time. We feel guilty because we missed today’s reading in our Advent book. We are tired because we’ve been running around trying to get everything accomplished, but we are so distracted that we miss the joy of being with God during the season.
We all have things that tempt us each day, so much busy-ness that distracts us from the things that really matter. Sometimes these things do not seem harmful to our lives, but we can be drawn into a lifestyle that is distracting our focus from God. When we are aware of the activities or things that give us the rush, then we can stand against it. Remember that God is always with you. Do you ever think, “I’m too busy”? That is the voice of God calling you away from the distractions that tempt you. God is faithful; He will give you the strength and the way out.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org.
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