Author: John Tillman

Links for today’s readings:

Dec 16   Read: 2 Chronicles 18 Listen: (5:51) Read: Psalms 119.145-176 Listen: (15:14)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 119.1, 176

1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
    who walk according to the law of the Lord.

176 I have strayed like a lost sheep.
    Seek your servant,
    for I have not forgotten your commands.

Reflection: A Lifetime of Joy — Joy of Advent

By John Tillman

Charles Spurgeon believed David composed Psalm 119 over his lifetime. Spurgeon pointed to the growth in the subject matter and argued that early stanzas showed a young man’s idealism and aspirations and later stanzas showed a world-weary elder’s humility and laments.

Comparing the first and last lines seems to support this. The first line praises those whose ways are blameless. The last line confesses straying so far as to become hopelessly lost. The psalmist needs God to seek him.

He has not forgotten the Lord’s commands but he also has failed to follow them blamelessly. Yet, he appeals to the Lord to seek him, save him, restore him, and sustain his life.

Even though the psalmist has strayed, even though he is lost, even though he has listed many ways in which he has been oppressed, attacked, slandered, and harmed, he maintains his joy through God and God’s word.

For the psalmist, God’s character is intimately bound up in God’s commands through scripture. It is in God’s written words, commands, prophecies, narratives, judgments, and songs that the psalmist sees God’s nature, will, and guidance.

It is the same for us. Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God. When we see Jesus, we see the Father and we see Jesus most clearly through the scriptures. The Holy Spirit shaped scripture to show us God in the person of Jesus Christ.

The pattern of Psalm 119 shows the development of identity, wisdom, humility, and joy that cannot be dimmed by the circumstances of life. This development, this joy, comes from long and repeated devotion to the scriptures and their Holy Spirit-enabled transformative power.

Where are you in Psalm 119? Where are you in Advent? Are you the idealistic young person? Are you the world-wearied elder? Are you joyously seeking God? Are you crying for God to seek and find you?

There is room in Advent for every stage of our waiting, every ounce of our suffering, every emotion of our hearts, and every idealistic or cynical thought. Hope, peace, joy, and love abound despite circumstances when we focus our vision on Jesus through the scriptures.

Devote yourself not to the emotionalism of a sentimental season, but to the indefatigable joys scripture reveals in the character of Jesus and our future with him. Jesus is the source of Advent’s joy that cannot be dimmed by the dark.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Because you have kept my commandment to persevere, I will keep you safe in the time of trial which is coming for the whole world, to put the people of the world to the test. I am coming soon: hold firmly to what you already have, and let no one take your victor’s crown away from you. Anyone who proves victorious I will make into a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and it will stay there forever; I will inscribe on it the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which is coming down from my God in heaven, and my own new name as well. Let anyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. — Revelation 3.10-13

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: The Garden of Psalm 119

It is our hope that each cycle of our two-year-long tread through the garden of scripture produces not pride, but humility.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 15   Read: 2 Chronicles 17 Listen: (2:48)  Read: Psalms 119.121-144 Listen: (15:14)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 119.121-128

121 I have done what is righteous and just;
    do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Ensure your servant’s well-being;
    do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,
    looking for your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant according to your love
    and teach me your decrees.
125 I am your servant; give me discernment
    that I may understand your statutes.
126 It is time for you to act, Lord;
    your law is being broken.
127 Because I love your commands
    more than gold, more than pure gold,
128 and because I consider all your precepts right,
    I hate every wrong path.

Reflection: The Door to Joy — Joy of Advent

By John Tillman

How can we be joyful in the dark?

The psalmist makes a bold statement! God, you’re late.

It is time for God to show up, but the psalmist’s eyes fail waiting for God. It is time for God to destroy oppressors, but oppressors still stand, whip in hand. It is time for justice to fall on law-breakers, but the judge of all the earth seems to be holding his court in recess.

Moments of darkness can become moments of doubt. It is easy to become discouraged and disillusioned. How long, O Lord?

Like the psalmist, we see oppressors and law-breakers and systems of justice that seem inadequate or absent. Oppressors and law-breakers are, in some ways, unchanging. Every time and culture has criminals who break laws and the most literal form of oppression, slavery, still exists today. But the form and means of lawlessness and oppression change and adapt.

Oppressors today might use an algorithm instead of a whip or banking policies instead of chains. Law-breakers may use the legal systems intended to uphold the law to upend justice by enacting unjust laws or enforcing just laws through unjust means.

But oppression is not only outward; it is inward. We are oppressed individually by sinful temptations, addictions, tendencies, and desires. Sin pressures, prods, and pushes us towards lawless paths by small steps. As God warned the downcast Cain, Sin crouches at the door to pounce. (Genesis 4.7) If we do not master it, it will be our master. (Romans 6.16)

The psalmist resisted by leaning into love for God’s word. This makes him “hate every wrong path” and is how he held onto joy in the dark. Jesus is our door to enter Advent’s joy. 

Joy may not be the first thing people think of when they think of Advent.

Many perceive Advent as somber and sober. We sit in the dark and light candles very slowly. (One a week!) Christmas is the party, the good gifts, the joyous celebrations. Avent is just the waiting. However, Advent is not a static and staid ceremony of somberness. Advent prepares us to party, but has joys all its own. Advent arms us with joy and light.

Joy thrives even in sunless realms. Christian joy is not based on temporal circumstances but on eternal realities of God’s character revealed in Jesus. Enter Avent’s joy from any dark place you find yourself by the door of Jesus, Emmanuel. (John 10.9)

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now it happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” — Luke 1.39-45

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 4  Read: 2 Chronicles 3-4 Listen: (5:42) Read: Psalms 108-109 Listen: (4:28)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 108.1, 10-13

Reflection: Steadfast Hope — Hope of Advent

By John Tillman

Do even steadfast hearts waver?

Having a “steadfast heart” is a common theme in psalms and elsewhere in scripture. It typically describes those who are determined to be firm, unwavering, and loyal to God.

The first few lines of Psalm 108 are a beautiful testimony of praise. But even the psalmist of the steadfast heart has moments where his heart skips a beat and doubts, anxieties, and fears flutter to the surface.

In the middle of the poem, the psalmist recalls God’s voice from the sanctuary and his promises. God speaks like a warrior returning from conquering enemies and liberating the oppressed. Shechem, Sukkoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah represent God’s people as prized possessions. Moab, Edom, and Philistia represent the people’s subdued enemies. The psalmist remembers that God promised honor and safety to his people, and victory over their enemies. But where is that victory? The psalmist doesn’t see it. The psalmist doesn’t see God.

The psalmist is outside a fortified city, where God no longer goes out with his people. The people need to be saved. There are enemies to be defeated and dangers to be delivered from, but where is God? The “right hand” of God does not move to help. The God who would lead them to safety or to victorious battle has rejected them. The “human help” they have reached for is worthless, and the aid of the Almighty is absent. The God who would gain the victory seems to have abandoned them.

Yet the psalmist still hopes. “With God we will gain the victory…” Despite not seeing God, despite feeling abandoned, despite being rejected, despite looking up at the fortified walls of an undefeatable enemy, the steadfast heart hopes.

This psalm ends unresolved. The psalmist waits, sometimes wavers, but holds steadfast hope. Do you feel like the psalmist? I do. Dangers and enemies seem abundant. Where is God in the midst of this chaos and darkness?

Like the psalmist, return to what God has spoken. The psalmist heard God from the sanctuary. Our sanctuary is in the words of Jesus. The promises we have in Jesus are already true and not yet fully manifested. In Advent, we wait and hope in the dark, remembering that the light has already come and has promised to come again.

When your steadfast heart wavers, return to Jesus’ promises. In him, we have and will have victory.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Your testimonies are very sure, and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, forever and forevermore. — Psalm 93.6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Mercy Seat and Manger — Hope of Advent

David met an angel, made a sacrifice, and prepared a place to welcome God’s presence. Generations later, David’s daughter, Mary, did the same to welcome Jesus.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 3  Read: 2 Chronicles 2  Listen: (3:41) Read: Psalms 107 Listen: (4:12)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 107.4-16

Reflection: Dependent Hope — Hope of Advent

By John Tillman

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves.” Jefferson referred to humans suffering from earthly despotism and tyranny, but the principle applies elsewhere.

The psalmist writes of being lost in wastelands from wandering, chained by tyrannies resulting from rebellion, and hopeless in darkness due to rejecting the light. All tyrants promise freedom. All evils call themselves good. All sin calls itself righteous. Believing these claims, we often go step by step down slippery slopes into the sufferings of many kinds.

The sufferings grow slowly, like gradually rising muck in a sinkhole or cave. At our ankles, we say, “It isn’t so bad.” At our knees, we say, “I can always go back.” At our waist, we say, “Well, I’ve come this far.” By the time we say, “This is intolerable,” it’s at our armpits. By the time we say, “I must get out,” it threatens our chin.

How do we hope to get out? The psalmist says we don’t. God comes to get us. That’s what Advent celebrates. God comes to lost wanderers and leads them out of the wilderness. God comes to those in darkness to bring light. God comes to those imprisoned to break bars and shackles. 

Jefferson disbelieved miracles. He called Jesus’ teachings a “sublime and benevolent code of morals” yet cut everything miraculous from his New Testament with a razor blade, including Jesus’ miraculous Advent.

Extraordinarily committed and fortunate individuals, like Jefferson and other Declaration signers, might shake off a human tyrant to enjoy a limited measure of freedom for a limited time. But from the tyrants that really matter, sin and death, we cannot break free. We cannot “right ourselves.” Our hope is not in glorious revolution or declaring our independence. Hope is dependent on God’s arrival. The advent of his kingdom is our only hope.

If Jesus’ kingdom was of this world, we would take up arms to fight. Instead we take up towels to wash feet in service, take up crosses to deny ourselves in humility, and take up his gospel to declare our dependence upon it.

Commit your life, fortune, and sacred honor to Christ’s description of his kingdom’s advent. May the spirit of the Lord be upon us bringing good news to the poor, loosing the captives, making the blind see, and lifting the oppressed to stand in freedom.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Let us make a vow to the Lord our God and keep it; let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared. — Psalm 76.11

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Scandalous Surprise of Hope — The Hope of Advent

Who are we to have such hope as advent promises? That Christ would come to us is baffling, surprising, and to some, scandalous.

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