Advent Devotional - Day 19

Romans 15:13:  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

With this, Paul begins to draw his magnificent letter to the Romans to a close.  The focus is upon the agency of God in granting joy, not in some innate human ability to produce it.  When we attempt to generate joy for ourselves, we fail.

As Americans, we are obsessed with the “pursuit of happiness” as guaranteed within our founding documents.  Yet, this season and the witness of scripture remind us that joy is not the result of our pursuit; rather it is the remarkable gift of God.  Thanks be to God!

PRAYER
Lord God, may we always be turned by your Spirit to find our joy in your gifts – life, love, grace and more – and may we witness them in the faces of those around us. Amen.

Rev. Martin R. Ankrum, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Greensburg