Finding God in Advent – Day 7 – God Shows Up Again!

This devotional reminds us that Christmas is just the beginning of the hope that we get to receive and live with. This devotional points us to Jesus and the reality that we are never alone, no matter what we are going through, God shows up and so we can be content no matter what we face! As I draw to the close of this devotional series, I am so happy to have found it and excited for all that I have heard and learned through it. This devotional helped me not only connect with a publisher but also the author which made my day. God never leaves us nor abandons us, so it is up to us if we will receive Him and invite Him into our situation! Are you ready to invite God in? Are you ready to see God show up again?

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:

Every day, every devotional, every topic, it is important to go to and turn to God’s Word first and allow it to speak into and over our lives! We need to allow God’s Word to interpret God’s Word by ensuring we understand the context and not pick and choose text out of context and use it incorrectly! God’s Word is active and alive, so let’s make sure to bring it into our lives daily! God’s Word is sharp enough to cut through difficult topics and help us get to the core! Let’s not try to do it or figure it out on our own but instead invite God into the situation and allow Him to show up, again and again, to help us stay on track and accomplish the good works He has prepared in advance for us to accomplish!

Let’s be the dads who are living our lives always ready and in anticipation of Jesus’ return! Let’s be the dads who are prepared to the point that we won’t be surprised because we are waiting in anticipation that today could be the day! Let’s be the dads who as we await Jesus’ return are living as faithful servants and are doing a good job taking care of everything God has given us to manage!

Let’s be the dads who are excited by the vision of the future with a new heaven and a new earth! Let’s be the dads who are preparing in great anticipation for the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband! Let’s be the dads who are preparing and looking forward to the day when God’s home is among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Let’s be the dads who are trusting God with everything and are able to live out this life with contentment! Let’s be the dads who aren’t clinging to the material things of this world because we know that there is a better future ahead when God is making all things new as we steward what we have today in anticipation and excitement of all God is doing now! Let’s be the dads who lean into God’s Word because we know it is trustworthy and true! Let’s be the dads who receive and then share with our wives and our kids and the world around us the truth and reality that God “will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children”! Let’s be the dads who choose to live out this life god has given us, created us for, purposed for our lives, and prepared in advance for us to accomplish boldly and courageously so that we don’t end up being put in the bucket or category of “cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars” and end up in the fiery lake of burning sulfur which is the second death!

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 Again“

• Let’s be the dads who receive, respond, and share the good news of God!
• Let’s be the dads who choose to live as Jesus sent out His disciples “shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” rather than being found to be “naive“!
• Let’s be the dads who at this moment, whether you are heading into the Christmas season, out of the Christmas season, or are in the middle of the year, pause to wait and hear from God!
• Today’s devotional opens with this thought to grab hold of:
  • “Despite the joyful caroling, the pretty lights, and the yearly traditions, you may not feel like God has shown up for you. You may be experiencing deep hurt, stress, or tragedy. You’re trying hard to hang on to the joy that the holidays bring, but in the back of your mind, you know that this season will soon be over and you’ll be right back to the harsh realities of real life.“
• Let’s be the dads who even though we “know God shows up” don’t give up even when we are “feeling it“!
• Let’s be the dads who instead of giving up, grab a hold of the bigger or greater meaning of the Advent season “that we celebrate the birth of Christ as a baby but also that we wait with anticipation for Christ to come again“!
• Let’s be the dads who like Paul can be content no matter the situation!
  • ‘I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that now at last you have renewed your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned about me before, but you had no opportunity to show it. Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] Nevertheless, it was right of you to share [with me] in my difficulties. ‘ Philippians 4:10-14
• Let’s be the dads who cling to Jesus right where we are at and no matter what we are going through because we know He is coming back and so we can grab a hold of the reality that “Hope is on His way.“!
• Let’s be the dads who remember “Jesus may have shown up as a vulnerable baby in a manger and ended his short life on earth on a cross, but this story isn’t over“!
• Let’s be the dads who remember and celebrate that “He has risen from the dead and will return as the triumphant King“!
• Let’s be the dads who don’t lose hope and share this hope with our wives and kids because we know that “God showed up, and he will show up again. He always does.“!
• Let’s be the dads who no matter where we are on the leadership scale press in and lean into God and His Word to help us even when we stumble through this season to “take heart, knowing that you are following a God who promises to make all things right again“!
• Let’s be the dads who have hope because of how full and powerful God’s Word is in the Bible with stories of real people who had to deal with real issues, not perfect people but even dysfunctional people, and even so, the Bible isn’t just a 1 pager!
• Today’s devotional speaks to this topic:
  • “The Bible should be one page long, but it isn’t. It’s more than a thousand pages long because God has not given up on his people. He has not given up on you. He has not given up on your marriage. He has not given up on your children. And he has not given up chasing you down with his great love.“
  • “He will not give up.“
• So as we step into today and out of this last day of our devotional, let’s grab a hold of the closing remarks from it and the challenge it gives us to get up and go out and live our lives by being the dads God has created, purposed, and planned for us to be:
  • “As you celebrate this holiday season, thank God that he showed up in flesh and blood to prove that he has not given up on humanity—or on you. But also, set your eyes on what is to come. The King will return to all this brokenness and make it new. And for that day, our hearts yearn. Because this is the God of the Bible. He is the God who shows up. He always shows up. And in that, we can put our rest. May we be the kind of husbands, fathers, and disciples who point our families back to that good news. It’s been celebrated for many centuries, and it’s still life-changing, still worth sharing. Merry Christmas, friends.“