2021 Advent Devotions
Thursday, December 16 - Shiela Coulston
Psalm 15:1-5 “Lord, who dares to dwell with you? Who presumes the privilege of being close to you, living next to you in your shining place of glory? Who are those who daily dwell in the life of the Holy Spirit? They are passionate and whole-hearted, always sincere and always speaking the truth—for their hearts are trustworthy. They refuse to slander or insult others, they'll never listen to gossip or rumors, nor would they ever harm another with their words. They will speak out passionately against evil and evil workers while commending the faithful ones who follow after the truth. They make firm commitments and follow through, even at great cost. They never crush others with exploitation or abuse and they would never be bought with a bribe against the innocent. They will be never be shaken, they will stand firm forever.”
This year's devotional topic of longing stirs in me the quest for truth and raises many questions. In today's technology laced world it seems there is so much information constantly coming at us from so many directions it is sometimes difficult to sort it all out. Is it truth or opinion? Do we accept lies as truth, and truth as lies? Up is down, down is up. We are told to “follow the science” and then the “science” is changed or ignored. In many instances, today's media promotes what is solely their opinion and disregards or distorts the truth. Do we reject the truth because we don't want our illusions destroyed? Raising questions is discouraged. Can we remember that the truth doesn't mind being questioned? When the truth is inconvenient, word definitions are changed. Paul writes in Titus 1:10 that “there are many wayward people, smooth talkers, and deceivers . . . who are disrupting entire families with their corrupt teachings, all for their dishonest greed.”
It is incumbent on me to always remember that God's truth is absolute. The word truth appears many times in the Bible. We are all his family, his children. He did not create races or racism. He lovingly created us, his children, as influencers—not victims. He created us to take responsibility for ourselves and not blame others when we fail. There are times when I must stop and question myself—my emotions will try to warp my motives and lead me astray. My responsibility is to always seek the truth and speak honestly from my heart. Often taking the road to do what is right is more rocky than submitting and going along to get along. Psalm 119:104 proclaims: “For your truth is the source of my understanding, not the falsehoods of those who don't know you, which I despise.” Be still and know rings in my head. Those moments of quiet help me to cope with the craziness of the world. My faith reassures me that evil will be brought to justice and that what is right and just will prevail. God's truth will prevail. My longing for truth will never stop.
Prayer: Lord, help me to always know and walk in the light of your truth. In these times of uncertainty, help me to know and understand your truth so that I can be an ambassador of your loving ways. Lord, make me worthy. Amen.
Psalm 15:1-5 “Lord, who dares to dwell with you? Who presumes the privilege of being close to you, living next to you in your shining place of glory? Who are those who daily dwell in the life of the Holy Spirit? They are passionate and whole-hearted, always sincere and always speaking the truth—for their hearts are trustworthy. They refuse to slander or insult others, they'll never listen to gossip or rumors, nor would they ever harm another with their words. They will speak out passionately against evil and evil workers while commending the faithful ones who follow after the truth. They make firm commitments and follow through, even at great cost. They never crush others with exploitation or abuse and they would never be bought with a bribe against the innocent. They will be never be shaken, they will stand firm forever.”
This year's devotional topic of longing stirs in me the quest for truth and raises many questions. In today's technology laced world it seems there is so much information constantly coming at us from so many directions it is sometimes difficult to sort it all out. Is it truth or opinion? Do we accept lies as truth, and truth as lies? Up is down, down is up. We are told to “follow the science” and then the “science” is changed or ignored. In many instances, today's media promotes what is solely their opinion and disregards or distorts the truth. Do we reject the truth because we don't want our illusions destroyed? Raising questions is discouraged. Can we remember that the truth doesn't mind being questioned? When the truth is inconvenient, word definitions are changed. Paul writes in Titus 1:10 that “there are many wayward people, smooth talkers, and deceivers . . . who are disrupting entire families with their corrupt teachings, all for their dishonest greed.”
It is incumbent on me to always remember that God's truth is absolute. The word truth appears many times in the Bible. We are all his family, his children. He did not create races or racism. He lovingly created us, his children, as influencers—not victims. He created us to take responsibility for ourselves and not blame others when we fail. There are times when I must stop and question myself—my emotions will try to warp my motives and lead me astray. My responsibility is to always seek the truth and speak honestly from my heart. Often taking the road to do what is right is more rocky than submitting and going along to get along. Psalm 119:104 proclaims: “For your truth is the source of my understanding, not the falsehoods of those who don't know you, which I despise.” Be still and know rings in my head. Those moments of quiet help me to cope with the craziness of the world. My faith reassures me that evil will be brought to justice and that what is right and just will prevail. God's truth will prevail. My longing for truth will never stop.
Prayer: Lord, help me to always know and walk in the light of your truth. In these times of uncertainty, help me to know and understand your truth so that I can be an ambassador of your loving ways. Lord, make me worthy. Amen.