Devotion for the Tuesday of the Third Week in Advent

Theme for the week: Joy

Devotion for the tuesday of third the Week in Advent (Day 17)

Reading: Proverbs 10:27–32 (NRSV)

²⁷The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.

²⁸The hope of the righteous ends in gladness, but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.

²⁹The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright, but destruction for evildoers.

³⁰The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not remain in the land.

³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

³²The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

REFLECTION:

How does the fear of the Lord prolong life? The fear of the Lord does not imply a terror, but rather respect and awe. Have you ever known someone who lives what we might call a God-fearing life? A person like this typically lives a prayer-filled life and knows how to call on God. Someone living a God-fearing life tries to live life in a way that best fulfills God’s expectations as he or she understands them. A God-fearer also knows that as a human he or she will never be able to fully measure up to God’s standards and will inevitably have to fall back on God’s grace.

Someone who is comfortable in prayer, easily able to call on God, and living a life directed by God is someone who is usually living a serene life. Such serenity is often characterized by generosity and is accompanied by a sense of living into God’s abundance, rather than stressing about getting the latest and best things.

The serenity and the sense of living into God’s abundance means a lower stress lifestyle. Current medical practice encourages people to reduce the tension in their lives in order to reduce the incidence of diseases induced or aggravated by stress. Living a prayer-filled life, coupled with contentment and an awe of the Lord will most likely mean a higher quality, joyful life. The lower stress associated with this lifestyle may also lead to an increase in length of a person’s life.

PRAYER:

Pray that God may help you to learn to love and fear the Lord. Pray that your fear of the Lord will lead to a prayer filled life and a sense of abundance, contentment, and joy.