NACR Daily Meditation for Friday, Dec 19, 2008

[NACR Daily Meditation]

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NACR Daily Meditation for Friday, Dec 19, 2008

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                             The Lord longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18



Advent waiting is a waiting that is marked by hope.  We do not wait, wondering 	if Christmas will ever come.  We know it is coming.  We know the promise is certain.  And so we wait with expectation and joy.


Our hope in this time of waiting is based God's self revelation.  God longs to be gracious to us and to show us compassion. 


God loves us.  This reality is the heart beat of the advent season.  God loves us.  Advent is a time of celebrating the breathtaking drama of God's love shown to us in Jesus.  


While we wait we would do well to focus on God's declaration of love for us. We need to allow ourselves to drink it in so that it fills our thirsty souls.  We need to let God's declaration of love for us be a powerful healing ointment, mending the wounds of our hearts, broken by love disappointed, love failed, love lost.




There is a promise of blessing for us as we wait for him.  Waiting with dread and fear is torturous.  Waiting with uncertainty is full of anxiety.  But waiting with expectation is full of blessing.
Advent days are days of waiting.  Waiting with hope and excitement.  Waiting like eager children.   For we are loved.  The God who made us longs to be gracious to us.  He will rise to show us his love.



Lord, 
I wait for you with hope and joy. 
You say that you are longing to be gracious to me 
that you will rise to show me compassion. 
I want to take this in.   
I want to believe from the depths of my being 
that you love me. 
My heart is wounded, Lord. 
You see and know all the wounds. 
I want these wounds to heal as I take in your love. 
I want this advent to be a time of waiting with anticipation.  
I want it to be a time of celebrating your goodness and your love. 
I want it to be a time of blessing and healing.  Amen.
 
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