Confidence in Place of Fear (Advent 12, 2024)

Let’s face it: God can be scary.  Especially if He’s angry with you.  But even when He’s pleased with you overall, He’s always holy and that alone can be scary.

Jesus made a point of demonstrating in His life that we should view God the way Jesus did: as Father.  While God is Jesus’ Father in a wholly unique way (John 20:17), nevertheless He taught us to pray “Our father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).

Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are– yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Questions for further thought:

If you’ve ever had family (especially a father) or even friends who made you feel like you were walking on eggshells just to have a conversation, how do each of the following help us to get rid of that eggshell feeling and instead, confidently approach God:  (1) knowing Jesus empathizes with us in our weaknesses, (2) knowing He understands what temptation is like, and (3) knowing He makes a way for us ahead of time to be forgiven?

What difference does confidence make to our faith?

Prayer:

How we praise You, Lord Jesus, for the forgiveness which You purchased for us! We thank You for paving the way so we can know the comforting nearness of the Father through faith in You.  For those among us who are estranged from fathers, had difficult childhoods, or never knew a father’s love, help us to know in a very real sense what it means to have confidence in calling “Abba, Father!” because You are advocating for us as our great high priest.  We love You, Lord.  Amen.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• “From the Jews for the World” was the theme of last Advent’s devotional series. It is archived beginning December 3, 2023, and explored how Jesus’ Jewish heritage was necessary for the salvation of Gentiles, too.
• “Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.