In Psalm 119 the psalmist waxes eloquent about God’s laws, commandments, teachings and much else and commits himself to wholeheartedly trying to learn them, understand them and obey them. And, why is that? It is because He has experienced God in all His goodness and mercy, and know for certain that both God, and His word, can be trusted totally. So, what about us? Advent is typically a time to reflect on our own lives and how we stand with God, so what better time is there to think about what God and His word mean to us?

Today’s message of reproof and judgment found in the book of Amos is enough to give anyone pause, simply because not only did Amos predict it but that all of it came true, exactly as he had stated it.

For me, however, it is important as more than just some ‘historical artifact’, some happening from the past. To me, it puts me in mind of us and our world today. Scripture repeatedly points out that all nations and all of humankind will one day be held accountable. And, even more unsettling, it says that judgment will start with the household of God, with the people of God (see 1 Peter 4: 17). Indeed, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God (Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10). So, my question is, ‘are we ready for it?’ It is a good question for us to ponder, and especially during this season of Advent.

I’m sure that we can each think of people who were basically a ‘flash in the pan’, a temporary wonder, something akin to a shooting star that emerged in the heavens, blazed brightly for a moment, and then were seen no longer. Here I think of certain singers or performers who had but just hit song or performance, or sports figures who ‘showed so much promise’ but fizzled when they ‘got into action’, or elected leaders who wowed the crowds for a moment but then never really lived up to the hype.

I am sure that none of us want to be like that, and so today’s passage and meditation are most appropriate. They are all about how to have ‘staying power’, whether that relates to God or to our own selves, our own character, as moral beings that demonstrate integrity in the way we live.

Today, in our wider world, we hear many and diverse ‘calls to action’, many of them stressing just urgent they are. But what about God’s call to action, our spiritual call to action? As we celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus Christ, how many of us--and those around us--are sure about our relationship with Him? I ask this, because, for many years, I didn’t even know that it was even possible to have a relationship with Jesus. And, along with this, many others just take it for granted. My guess is that many well-meaning ‘Christians’ are in either one of these boats! Anyway, it is something too important--eternally important, in fact, not to make sure of.

And then, coupled with this: how many of us are prepared and ready for His coming again in glory? That is, firstly, are our lives such that He’d be pleased with them? And secondly, are we busy, redeeming the time, with the tasks that He has assigned for us to do--such things as looking after His ‘household’ (whether this be the church or the world, it doesn’t matter overly), making use of the gifts He has given us, or spreading the Good News of the Gospel. Putting these two questions in another way: Are we in such a state as to be ready for His fellowship? And, are we prepared to give an accounting of our stewardship?

To me, during this Advent season, these ‘calls to action’ are far more important than many of the secular ones that so often issue clarion calls for our attention and action.

In today’s passage from Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus poses the one central, all-encompassing question that we must all face, and not just once and for all, but every day and every moment, namely who or what is going to be our priority in life, our over-all driving force or ambition? Is it going to be something ‘of this world’, or is it going to be God, Jesus Christ? It essentially boils down to that simple but far-reaching question, and as we look forward to the celebration of Christ’s coming into this world, what could be a better one for us to ponder--and answer.

Sadly--and unfortunately--the truth of the Christian Gospel is often under attack these days. While this is certainly to be expected when it comes from those who are outside of the Church, it is quite unfortunate and disheartening when this happens within the ranks of the Body of Christ. But it happens very often simply by those who water down or explain away its truth or make light of them. And then, there are those who outright deny such crucial doctrines as the Incarnation or the Atonement, or such important moments in salvation history as the virgin birth or the bodily resurrection of Jesus. So, as ever, safeguarding--and passing on--the truth of the Gospel remains a task for all of us who know and love and follow the Lord Jesus.

The title for today’s meditation really raises what has to be the most important and practical for our world today, and indeed, for any time and place, namely ‘where can we turn?’ Or, put another way, ‘who can we turn to for help?’ Over the years, people have turned to political systems or civic institutions, or to leaders, whether local, provincial, national or international, but all of these have been found wanting. And likewise, people have turned to their family and friends, or to the local community--or to themselves and their own knowledge and resources, and yet all of these, when ‘the crunch comes’, when ‘push comes to shove’, don’t really fit the bill. All of these come short in some pretty significant ways. It is only God, Jesus Christ, that truly fits the bill, that truly meets our needs, or that truly satisfies. Only He is always there, always available, and always ready and able to help. And so, let us always place our hope and trust in Him and in Him alone--and encourage others to do so as well.

I find it interesting that certain of the detractors that Peter mentions in today’s passage alleged that a number of the early church leaders had already died and that, in the interim, nothing had changed, or at least, hadn’t changed for the better. I wonder whether anyone would make the same claim today. Yes, our world is in a turmoil--nothing new here--and many would say that it is a mess. But yes, on the other hand, a very strong case can be made for the influence of the Church over the years. There are many pieces of progress where the Church can be claimed as being responsible: the abolition of the slave trade in much of the world, the development of more humane and just working and social conditions in much of the western world, and, of course, the establishment of hospitals and schools in much of the Third World. All of this can be taken as evidence that God and His Church are alive and well, and that we are doing His work as He had ordered, doing His work as we await His return.

We do all this because we believe that He will return, and so want to be seen as responsible servants who do His will in the meantime.

We have now entered into the church season of Advent, which is a period both of remembrance and anticipation. The remembrance focuses on the birth of our Saviour into this world and on the incredible effects of His life, death and resurrection in our lives and in the entire world. Essentially, that remembrance asks us whether we are living lives worthy of what He has done for us, lives befitting who we are in Him.

And the anticipation focuses on His anticipated return, and asks us yet another question, “Are we ready? Are we prepared? Are we living the lives He would want to see, or that we would want Him to see?

And so, this is an ideal time for reflection and self-examination. Here, hopefully, today’s meditation can be of some help.

The subject of today’s Scripture passage and meditation are not in the least way my favourite as they deal with the idea of suffering, and not the suffering we encounter from disease or ailments or from simply getting older. No, it is about suffering for ‘righteousness’ sake’, that is, on account of being Christians. So, it is something that I really had to struggle with as I meditated on it today. In so doing, I realized that it all had to do with a consistency of life, a basic integrity in who and what we are--in other words, whether we are really trying to follow Christ and be like Him, or no. And so, this becomes an issue even if we never suffer any pushback or repercussions for so doing. (The chances are, however, that we will--and certainly if our consistency of discipleship, or obedience, becomes obvious to others.)

I have often said that the church is full of control freaks, and the higher up one goes, the worse it gets. I can certainly point out some laudable exceptions to this notion but even so, it seems to be quite true. Here, I must venture, we are not very different from the rest of the world. Naturally, as humans, we like to have power, control and influence, not just over our own lives--this goes right back to Adam and Eve--but also around the world immediately around us as well. And so, Jesus’ model of servant leadership--and His call to each of us to imitate it--is quite a stretch, quite a challenge. Even so, it is something that He not only models, but also assists us with. And so be it, let each of us work to be like Jesus in this regard.

The Roman Catholic theologian, Gregory Baum, once said, ‘We need the conviction that God counts on us’, and that certainly is true. However, it is not true that He depends on us, or depends solely on us. God is present and is at work in our world quite apart from us and our effects. That means that He is also at work in peoples’ hearts and is speaking to them, long before we ‘come onto the scene.’ The question therefore is ‘how do we tap into that? How do we become part of that?’ That is where prayer and discernment come in, but also being led by the Holy Spirit and having a kind of ‘holy boldness’ which means stepping out of our natural hesitancy and shyness at times and say to that person what we think the Spirit is prompting us to say. As the reading from Deuteronomy says, ‘The word is very near you’, but sometimes they need help in hearing it

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible and is rather interesting in that each verse of each stanza of eight lines begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet and that each succeeding stanza begins with the next letter in succession. That means that if one knows the Hebrew alphabet the entire psalm is much easier to learn.

Today’s passage and meditation raise an eternally important and relevant question, namely, what does it ‘take’ to enter the kingdom of God? Often people in our western world today presume that it is ‘good works’: they say, he/ she was good person, surely he/she ‘will get in’. But often, like the rich young man, we know that this is not enough and want to know what ‘more’ we should do. Actually, there is no ‘more’, at least in terms of performance and trying to ‘measure up’. What is needed is seen both in Jesus’ demand that the rich young man simply give it all up and trust in Him and in Jesus’ espousal of the simple and uncomplicated faith of children. It is that faith and trust that God, Jesus Christ, wants from each of us. Thanks be to God.

Often our elected officials try to run on ‘their track record’, but far too often that track record isn’t that good. Today’s psalm exposes something of ancient Israel’s track record as God’s chosen people, a pretty dismal one to be sure. So, what about our ‘track record’? And, should we notice that it has certain defects, what can we do about it going forward--other than repenting and asking God’s forgiveness, which are a given? It is a good thought for all of us to ponder and pray about as we move on into the seasons of Advent and Christmas.

Thank God for the ‘new’ (new to us, that is) and refreshing perspective that God gives us via the Holy Scriptures. Today’s passage from the Book of Revelation repeats what we already know all too well, namely that the world is in a mess and so too are many of its people. It reiterates that there will be a time of reckoning and accountability, and that some people will be ‘found wanting.’ Nevertheless, this Book also depicts the Church in terms that we would barely recognize, namely of it being without even a spot or wrinkle, totally free from sin and totally ready for the bridegroom, which is Christ. And what today’s passage also relates is that this Church, that is, us, have a continuing part in calling anyone and everyone to respond to Christ and His love, to invite anyone who is thirsty for the something else that our world cannot give but that Jesus can. And, while we are not yet at that point of being that ‘perfect’ bride that Revelation envisions, we can still do that inviting, yes, even in our somewhat fallen and imperfect state. That this is possible we can rejoice. Thanks be to God.

I think that it is fair to say that for most of us, if not all, neither the world around us nor our own personal lives are always exactly as we would like them. Now, there is an ongoing and serious debate going on, one that has wracked the Christian world for centuries, over whether God actively plans or orchestrates all that goes on, or whether He ‘allows’ free will and choice on our parts--knowing fully well in advance what those choices will be--and then actively working them into His most perfect plan.

While we will not probably resolve this issue right now, there is one thing that we can know for us, and that is that God is there for us working all things to our good, and that we can always go to Him for help and relief, no matter what the situation might be. And that is most decidedly very good news.

It is easy to praise and thank God during likes of plenty or prosperity, or when everything is ‘going all right,’ but what about those times when this isn’t happening. Today’s psalm is full of praise and thanksgiving, as befits the American Thanksgiving holiday, which is today. But, far too often, things are not going quite so well for us: what then? This is something that I have tried to address in today’s meditation. I hope that you enjoy it and find it stimulating and inspiring.