Devotion for the Monday of the First Week in Advent

THEME FOR THE WEEK: HOPE

Devotion for the MONDAY of the First Week in Advent

READING: Romans 15:1-6

¹ We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. ³ For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, ⁶ so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

REFLECTION

There are days when we could easily believe that we are the only ones who have ever faced trials and tribulations. We look around and from what we can tell, everyone else has it so easy. Everyone else’s life just seems to go along smoothly…But not us, we have that huge rock that has been placed in our path. And we feel so alone. No one else shares this tribulation, and if truth be told, we don’t really want anyone else to know about it.

Yet this passage from Romans offers two points of hope for us. One of these points of hope rests with our neighbor, the other rests with the Word of God in Scripture. When we are suffering, God commands our neighbor to help us—it is God’s purpose for our neighbor to help us—both for the sake of our neighbor and for our sake. God does not want us to suffer alone, and God knows that our neighbor’s life is enriched when he or she is able to help us.

In this letter to the Romans, Paul points out that our other point of hope rests in the experience of others as recorded in Scripture. By the encouragement of God’s Word in Scripture we are given hope. God shows us through the interactions with the people of the Bible that God is a faithful God who does not abandon us when we face trials and tribulations.

Each of us will have a day when we are discouraged or filled with despair because of some burden we are carrying or some trial we are facing. Through our relationships with our neighbor and with God we are granted hope and the strength to overcome.

PRAYER:

May the God of hope strengthen you through the hearing of God’s Word and through the love and care of your neighbor. Amen