Advent Prayer Challenge Day 5 - December 1
Fix Your Mind
Read Isaiah 26:1-6
Want to go deeper today? Read Psalm 118
Light one candle and say together
The Lord is God and He has given us light.
(Psalm 118:37)
Reflection
What or whom do you put your trust in? If you're someone who claims to believe in God, then maybe your default answer is "God." But this is a question that lends itself to giving the answer we know to be right but not the answer we know to be true in our own lives.
Idols are a common theme in the Old Testament. God's people are often choosing to worship false idols instead of the God of the Universe who showed Himself faithful over and over and over again. False worship is such a common Old Testament theme that The 10 Commandments tell us not to put anything above God and not to make false idols. But, in our day and age, that might seem like a really simple task. If you're a list person, you can cross that one off: “Don't worry, God. I haven't made any golden calves lately and I don't think I'm going to be tempted to in the future, so we're good here.”
But an idol is really anything we put our trust in that isn’t God. Idols are what we turn to first when our life starts getting hard.
Today's passage in Isaiah doesn't talk about idols specifically, instead, it talks about what it would look like for God's people to start trusting God. We are given an image of what trusting God looks like. Trusting God is like living someplace that is safe because it is surrounded by strong walls that keep out danger while letting in other people who are looking for refuge in the Lord. Trusting in God is like standing on a firm rock, knowing that it is not going to shake underneath you. The bottom will not fall out. In fact, we are told that we will stay in perfect peace when we fix our mind on God and the salvation He promises (that's Jesus, by the way! That's why this is a promise for Advent!)
So let’s reframe the question. What do you fix your mind on? And what, when things feel shaky, do you turn to first? This question allows us to get to the heart of the issue. The answer to this shows us where we put our trust and what idols we have.
Our God is a trustworthy God. The salvation He offers us through Jesus is not going to crumble. When we plant our feet and stand firm in Him, we will not be shaken. These are promises that offer us hope as we read this together, less than a month before Christmas, in one of the busiest months of the year. If things around us are crumbling, if things feel shaky, if we are not experiencing peace, God is inviting us to stop reaching for other things and start reaching for Him. Are you going to take Him up on that invitation?
Reflect and Discuss
- What is your mind usually focused on?
- What do you turn to when life gets shaky?
- What practices can you put into place to start trying to fix your mind (focus) on God, at least once a day?
Pray
Lord, you are good. Your steadfast love endures forever! Thank you that out of our distress, we can call on you and know you will answer us. With you by our side, we will not fear.
Amen.
Advent in Action
Commit to spending time each day this Advent with God, even in the hustle and bustle. How can you plan to ensure this happens?
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Advent Prayer Challenge Day 4 - November 30
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