Thursday, December 7, 2023

Hosea 6:3, 6

3 “Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD;

   His going out is sure as the dawn;

He will come to us as the showers,

   as the spring rains that water the earth.”

…6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

   the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Let us press on to know the LORD! Notice the dual movement: God will surely go out, will surely come to us, more faithful than the rhythms of nature He created—and we are to press on to know the LORD. We are not to be passive onlookers as God comes. We must press in to know Him! Knowing God is more important than all our religious activity (yes, more important than reading an Advent devotional!). More important than all the things that we could do for God is actually knowing Him. Certainly we come to know Him through practices like Scripture reading, memorization, and meditation; through prayer and silent listening; through serving and loving others. So let us not do the practices for the practices’ sake, but to truly know God. He will come to us.

Prayer

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we want to pray constantly for those in the Buddhist world:

– Please bring Your gospel to them in word and in power, through believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit and winsome conviction.

– Please raise up laborers for Your harvest field who live lives worthy of imitating.

– Lord, draw Buddhists to follow Jesus despite affliction. Fill them with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Make them examples to believers and non-believers near and far, so that their faith will also impact regions beyond their own communities.

– God, draw people in the Buddhist world to turn from their idols and serve You, the Living and True God, and to wait for Jesus’ return. 

– Jesus, we praise You for Your coming at Christmas, and for Your powerful resurrection from the dead, and for Your deliverance from wrath and judgment!

Amen.