Do you ever find yourself being impatient? What is worth waiting for? What are you currently waiting for?

Many of us are are currently waiting on something. Many of us are waiting for God to move or act on a specific need or desire in our life. However, most of us do not like to wait—and we especially do not like waiting for God.

The Psalmist writes, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” (Psalm 130:5-8, ESV).

Waiting for God is hope filled because God is faithful and true to his word.

What lights your way and gives you life? Is your pathway through life illuminated? Do you experience yourself as having an abundance of life?

In Jesus we have both light and life. We have the light we need to illuminate our way, and we have the life that Jesus gives us as the light of life.

In John’s gospel account, Jesus spoke to his disciples, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV).

We can have light and life as we follow Jesus—the light of the world. When we follow Jesus, we do not walk in darkness anymore, we walk in God’s light.

The Apostle John tells us, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7, ESV).

How much power do you have? How much power would you like? How much power does God possess and allow to rest upon you?

God’s presence and power is with us and rests upon us.

In his letter to the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God’s grace and presence with us is sufficient for all our needs. When we are weak, then God is strong in us. We have the power of God resting upon us as followers of Jesus.

Have you ever felt anxious, uncertain, or depressed?

You are not alone.

Anxiety, uncertainty, and depression is an epidemic according to The Connected Generation: How Christian Leaders Around the World Can Strengthen Faith and Well-Being Among 18 — 35-Year-Olds, which is a research report by Barna Group.

Barna’s research indicates that “among Millennials, women are significantly more likely than men to feel: anxious about important decisions (47% vs. 33%), uncertain about the future (45% vs. 34%), and sad or depressed (33% vs. 22%).” (The Barna Group, 2020).

Around the holidays, feelings of anxiety, uncertainty, and depression can intensify for many of us, leading to a downward spiral of negative emotions.

What made God create all things from nothing, bring order out of chaos, and light out of darkness?

God has always existed and is fully complete, and yet, God desired to create all things that we know, enjoy, and appreciate. Jesus was with God in the beginning and he is the beginning of everything. God created everything by his Word—through Jesus.

In Jesus is light and life. God has brought light into darkness. Jesus shines his light into this dark world and this world’s darkness will never overcome his light.

The Apostle John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5, ESV).

What does it mean to walk in darkness? How is it different to walk in the light?

When we walk in darkness, we are living in deceit by practicing sinfulness. Walking in darkness is living the lie that wrong is alright. Walking in darkness is avoiding the light.

The Apostle John wrote, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7, ESV).

When we choose to walk in our sin and brokenness, we are choosing to walk in darkness.

What do you do about your sin? Do you ignore it and deny it, or confess it and turn from it?

Our default is self preservation and self protection. It is easier for us to ignore and to deny our brokenness and sin, than it is to be honest about it, confess it, and turn from it.

The Apostle John wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9, ESV).

The truth of our condition is our reality, whether or not we are honest about it or not.

Who has revealed God to you? Who has opened your eyes to God’s love and light?

We all need someone to bear witness to us about who God is and to reveal God to us.

John the Baptist came preparing the way for Jesus and revealing his light to the world. John was a witness to Jesus—the light of life.

The Apostle John wrote, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.” (John 1:6-8, ESV).

God’s light, revealed to us, leads us to belief. Like John, we are called to bear witness to the light of God—pointing others to the light.

How do we go about catching a glimpse of God? Is God knowable? Can we see God?

If we want to know what we look like, we look in the mirror to see ourselves.

If we want to know what God looks like, a mirror image of someone created in God’s image simply will not allow us to see God.

If we want to see God, we look at Jesus.

The Apostle John wrote this about Jesus in his gospel account, “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” (John 1:18, NLT).

When you are overcome with the cares of this world, how do you guard your heart from feeling overwhelmed with anxiety?

Our hearts and our minds can be ruled by the intensity of emotions we can experience from the chaos of the world around us.

However, God desires something better for our lives. The peace of God can rule in our hearts despite of what is going on around us.

The Apostle Paul instructed the Colossian Church in his letter to them, saying, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15, ESV).

Have you considered that repentance, turning from your sin, is prerequisite for turning towards God?

When we turn towards our selfish sinful nature, we turn away from God. When we turn from our selfish sinful nature, we begin our turning towards God.

Luke writes, “The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:2-3, ESV).

In turning away from our sinfulness and towards God, we find forgiveness of sins. Repentance turns us back to God.

How do you see to navigate the darkness of this sinful and broken world? When you are overwhelmed by the darkness, what gives you hope and direction and illuminates your way?

When darkness falls suddenly upon you, remember the light always pierces through.

The Apostle John wrote, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5, ESV).

We can have hope in the shadows and in the darkness of this world, because in Jesus, we have the light of life. The light of Jesus pierces through the darkness and illuminates our way.

What do you hold on to in your suffering? How do you hold on in your suffering?

When we feel like we cannot hold on in the middle of our suffering, we need to find hope to hold on to, and a strong rescuer to hold on to us when we feel we could let go.

The Apostle Paul assured the Roman church in their suffering, saying, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5, ESV).

What do you need to do to prepare the way for God in your life? How do you need to make the pathway to God straight and level in your life?

The season of Advent is a season of repentance and fasting. Advent is “a little Lent”, a time of repentance and preparation. Advent is a time of confession and readying for the arrival of the messiah—Jesus Christ.

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah, saying, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.’” (Isaiah 40:3-4, ESV).

What is the greatest gift that has ever been given? What is the greatest gift you have ever received from someone?

Not all gifts are created equal. A gift can be given and not received. A gift is not fully appreciated until it has been both given and received. We cannot benefit from, experience, or enjoy a gift we have not received.

In John’s gospel, Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV).

This is God’s gift—his love for the world. God loves the world so much that he gave.

What did God give to express his love for the world? God gave his only son.

How can we have God’s peace in the presence of evil? When we are living in a broken world, occupied and influenced by evil, how do we trust God and have peace?

Jesus taught us to pray in The Lord’s Prayer, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13, ESV).

There are temptations and there is evil in the world, but God will lead us through our temptation and will deliver us from evil when we come to him in prayer.

We can have God’s peace, even in the presence of evil, knowing that God will lead us and God will deliver us when we cry out to him.

Have you ever felt lonely, discouraged, or downcast? Are you feeling this way now?

The holiday season can bring up many emotions for people. For some, it is a time of joy and celebration. For others, it can be a time of loneliness, discouragement, and downheartedness.

Recent research from “The Loneliness Epidemic”, written by behavioral scientist Susan Mettes, shows that 19% of Baby Boomers report feeling lonely for at least some of each day. For Generation X, this number rises to 33%. And for the Millennial Generation, it reaches a staggering 46%. At baseline people are feeling lonely and disconnected.

While we may feel loneliness, feel discouragement, and feel downcast, especially during the holiday, we are not alone. God is with us. There are others who are experiencing, and who understand, what we are going through, because they are going through it too. We are not alone.

What is the most important word you can hear, listen to, and obey?

Wisdom is important and most of us seek a wise word that we can hear and put into practice for the greater benefit of our lives.

The most important word we can look for and listen to hear is the word of God. The Bible communicates God’s most precious and holy word to us. God’s word is sure, is valuable, and is beneficial for teaching us, rebuking us, correcting us, and training us in all that is right and good. God’s word helps to complete us and prepares us to do good work in the world.

The Apostle Paul wrote his young disciple, Timothy, saying, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV).

Where do you find the comfort you need in difficult times? How do you pray in the midst of your hardship? Where does your guidance come from to navigate the road ahead?

There can be seemingly insurmountable difficulties in this fallen and broken world. We look for peaceful living. We look for consolation in hardship. We look for God’s good grace to help us in our time of need.

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah, saying, “For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you.” (Isaiah 30:19. ESV).

God gives us a peaceful dwelling of comfort when we come to him. God hears us when we pray to him. When we call out to God, he answers us in our affliction.

How blessed is your seeing and your hearing? What is it that you are looking to see? What is it that you are listening to hear?

We are all looking to see and to hear from God in some way in our lives. We are all looking to see and listening to hear something transcendent. We are looking to see God. We are listening to hear from God.

In the days of the Old Testament, the history of God’s people, prophets and kings were looking for the coming messiah and listening to hear from heaven from God.

In Luke’s gospel account, Jesus turned to his disciples privately and said to them, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24, ESV).