Finding God in Advent – Day 6 – God shows up!

It’s incredible how powerful God’s Word is! It’s incredible how trustworthy God is! God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow! As I get ready to jump into today’s devotional and check into what we will hear and learn on day 6 of 7, I pause to thank God for all He has been able to do in and through BeTheDads.com so far and all the people He has opened the door for me to be able to not only connect with through their devotionals but also all those who have been visiting and encouraging me on this journey. I know we are just beginning and I know that that means that I need to press in so that I can finish strong. So let’s never stop seeking God and trusting that He is going to show up!

Today’s devotional comes with the following description:

This 7-day reading plan from Dad Tired podcast host and author Jerrad Lopes will prepare your heart and mind for the advent season as you explore God’s presence throughout the Bible and in your everyday life. From the garden to the manger to your own home, Jerrad helps you gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the God who always shows up…and will do the same for you.Finding God in Advent | Devotional Reading Plan | YouVersion Bible

Scripture from Today’s Devotional:

So glad to get to start each devotional in God’s Word. So grateful that the devotionals help us and call us to be the dads God created, planned, and purposed for us to be pointing us back to the source, the truth, the Word of God! God’s Word is powerful! God’s Word is sharper than a double-edged sword and able to cut through the noise to get right to the core! God’s Word is not stale or dusty, it’s active and alive! So let’s dig in to hear what God has to say to us in this scripture associated with today’s devotional!

Let’s be the dads who obey the commands of Jesus! Let’s be the dads who demonstrate our love for God by being obedient! Let’s be the dads who receive the Holy Spirit who is our advocate! Let’s bet be dads who listen to the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth! Let’s be the dads who are looking for and recognizing the Holy Spirit! Let’s be the dads who live with the Holy Spirit and have allowed Him to live in us! Let’s be the dads who aren’t alone, abandoned as orphans because we have been adopted into the family of God through our faith in Jesus Christ! Let’s be the dads who are filled with hope and faith because we see Jesus working in and through our lives! Let’s be the dads who choose to live because Jesus lives, sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding for us, our wives, and our kids! Let’s be the dads who demonstrate our love for Jesus by accepting His commandments and obeying them! Let’s be the dads who are loved by God because of our love for Jesus! Let’s be the dads who Jesus has revealed Himself, and keep pursuing and seeking Him all the days of our lives in order to know Him better and become more like Him! Let’s bet the dads who turn to God’s Word as our source and foundation of truth! Let’s be the dads who listen for and to the still quiet voice of the Holy Spirit because we know that He will teach us everything and will remind us of everything Jesus has told us! Let’s be the dads who receive the gift of the Holy Spirit from Jesus because we know that He will give us peace of mind and heart! Let’s be the dads who allow the Holy Spirit to bring us peace that surpasses all understanding thru prayer and petition to God! Let’s be the dads who cling to and receive the gift of peace from Jesus! Let’s be the dads who choose to live by faith rather than allowing the noise and distraction of this world to rob us of our peace by trying to replace it with fear! Let’s be the dads who allow faith to be the antidote for any fear the lies and deception of the devil try to bring our way! Let’s be the dads who are awaiting Jesus’ return! Let’s be the dads who receive the Word of God as truth and so believe! Let’s be the dads who walk by faith and not by sight, having the firm foundation of Jesus and God’s Word to help us stand firm wearing the full armor of God! Let’s be the dads who walk in confidence and faith because we know that nobody is able to overpower God!

Today’s devotional has been provided to us by Harvest House Publishers.

Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)

For more information, please visit http://harvesthousepublishers.com.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“God Shows Up in You“

• Ever had times when life feels like an “emotional roller coaster“?
• Ever had those times around the Christmas season?
• Ever had times of anticipation?
• Ever had times of feeling overwhelmed?
• Ever had times of joy and excitement?
• Ever had times of laughter and fellowship?
• Ever had times when the excitement ends and you start to feel down or even depressed?
• Today’s devotional points us to a story in the Bible with similar “emotional roller coaster” feelings:
  • “On one occasion, Jesus begins to tell his disciples that before long, he will have to leave them and go back to be with the Father. They don’t take the news of his upcoming departure very well. It would have been a punch in the gut to hear Jesus say he was going to leave them—by dying on a cross, no less. It would have shattered their spirits. The Jews had waited hundreds of years for the Messiah to show up and rescue them. And finally, here he was in flesh and blood. The disciples were walking and talking with the God of all creation. They were able to share meals with him, ask questions, hear him teach, and see him in action. This is the God of the universe we’re talking about! And he’s their friend! You would be angry too if you had grown accustomed to hanging out with God but then suddenly found out he was leaving. As quickly as he had appeared on the scene, he was talking about leaving.“
• Let’s be the dads who don’t lose hope because we know “the truth is, he didn’t leave“!
• Let’s be the dads who remember and experience how “He continued to show up“!
• Let’s be the dads who cling to the reality that “Jesus promised his disciples that even though he had to go, he would eventually send his Spirit to live inside them” and in us!
• Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality the disciples were feeling the moment they were hearing this news without understanding the rest of the story!
• Let’s be the dads who are grateful and thankful that Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit in us and realize that in the moment what the disciples were hearing was shocking because “They undoubtedly believed that God’s Spirit dwelled in only the most holy places and the most religiously pure people“!
• Today’s devotional closes with this to ponder and challenge us with:
  • “Catch this: It was as if Jesus was saying, “I showed up not only to be around you but also to be in you.” The God who walked with Adam and Eve after they sinned in the garden is the same God who dwelled among the rebellious Israelites in the desert. He’s the same God who put on flesh and blood and entered a broken and sinful world in the person of Jesus. And now God is saying he wants to do more than dwell among them—he wants to dwell in them.“
  • “Because this is what God does. He shows up. He always shows up. Even when people feel like they are too broken and messy, he moves toward them, not away.“
  • “When the Christmas season begins to wind down in your home this year, don’t set aside Jesus along with your holiday decorations. Be encouraged as you reflect back on the God who always draws near broken and messy people.“