December 10 by Lynn Thompson

SCRIPTURE
Romans 15: 4-13
And all these things which were written so long ago were written so that we, learning perseverance and the encouragement which the scriptures give, should have hope. Now the God of perseverance and encouragement give you all the same purpose, following the example of Christ Jesus, so that you may together give glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one heart.
Accept one another, then, for the sake of God’s glory, as Christ accepted you. I tell you that Christ’s work was to serve the circumcised, fulfilling the truthfulness of God by carrying out the promises made to the fathers, and his work was also for the gentiles, so that they should give glory to God for his faithful love; as scripture says: “For this I shall praise you among the nations and sing praise to your name.” And in another place it says: “Nations, rejoice with his people,” and in another place again: “Praise the Lord, all nations, extol him, all peoples.” And in Isaiah, it says: “The root of Jesse will appear, he who rises up to rule the nations, and in him will put their hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit you may be rich in hope.

We are used to hearing about hopefulness during Advent, but this passage also speaks of other qualities: perseverance, encouragement and acceptance. While there may not be candles for these attributes on the Advent wreath, they are nonetheless central to the message of hopefulness in Christ’s coming.
Sometimes, God puts people in our lives to teach us about these principles. Perhaps we have a loved one with a handicap that makes life unpleasant. Perhaps we have a difficult boss or employee at work. Perhaps one of our children has behavior that is especially challenging at times. Perhaps a lifelong friend confides a secret that most would consider shocking. Perhaps even we ourselves have done something that causes us to feel shame.
In how we react to these situations, Christ is revealed at work in our lives. Through perseverance, we learn to draw our strength from God. Through encouragement, we learn to share the hopefulness in the coming of God’s kingdom. Through acceptance, we have the opportunity to illustrate how God loves all people, not just a few. And through rejoicing in praising God, we glorify him.
We all fall short of God’s glory. Yet, through Christ, we are covered by the umbrella of his grace. And in that we can truly rejoice!

PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the people and situations you have placed in my life that give me opportunities to serve you. Help me today to draw strength from you to persevere through the trials that come my way. Help me to encourage others facing their own challenges. Help me to accept people as Christ accepted them. And let us all rejoice in the hope you have given us through Christ Jesus. Amen.
Lynn Thompson

Lynn Maria Thompson is president of Thompson Writing & Editing, Inc. in Neptune Beach where she lives with her mother Grace and their two cats, Frankie and Vixen. She is also a member of the Chancel Choir at RPC, the current chair of the Keep Jacksonville Beautiful Commission, a member of the Jax Beaches Gator Club, and an active volunteer with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce.