The Rev. Susan Moudry '10, Ph.D. student at Baylor University

Scripture 

Psalm 33: 20-22

20  Our soul waits for the LORD;
          he is our help and shield.
21  Our heart is glad in him,
          because we trust in his holy name.
22  Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
          even as we hope in you.

Devotion

Advent is a time of waiting and hoping, as the end of our morning psalm reminds us. Recently, though, I’ve found myself very aware that waiting does not always bring hope; it does not always bring excitement. Sometimes waiting is anxiety ridden and even pain filled. A professor and mentor of mine spent the last several weeks with this kind of waiting. Waiting to hear if the cancer has returned, waiting to hear if it has spread and waiting to hear what all this means. The emotional turmoil is very real and I imagine that most people can relate in their own ways, with their own stories of waiting. 

So, this year I find this psalm speaking to me in new ways. It is into this world of waiting with our anxieties and pains that God speaks. He reminds us with this season of Advent that hope is on the way, and that our waiting will one day turn to great joy. I am grateful for these reminders, spoken into our midst. For all those waiting, Christ is on the way.       

Prayer

God, be with us as we wait expectantly for you. Give us renewed hope. Remind us that you are never far away. Amen. 

The Rev. Susan Moudry '10, Ph.D. student at Baylor University

Scripture 

Psalm 33: 20-22

20  Our soul waits for the LORD;
          he is our help and shield.
21  Our heart is glad in him,
          because we trust in his holy name.
22  Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
          even as we hope in you.

Devotion

Advent is a time of waiting and hoping, as the end of our morning psalm reminds us. Recently, though, I’ve found myself very aware that waiting does not always bring hope; it does not always bring excitement. Sometimes waiting is anxiety ridden and even pain filled. A professor and mentor of mine spent the last several weeks with this kind of waiting. Waiting to hear if the cancer has returned, waiting to hear if it has spread and waiting to hear what all this means. The emotional turmoil is very real and I imagine that most people can relate in their own ways, with their own stories of waiting. 

So, this year I find this psalm speaking to me in new ways. It is into this world of waiting with our anxieties and pains that God speaks. He reminds us with this season of Advent that hope is on the way, and that our waiting will one day turn to great joy. I am grateful for these reminders, spoken into our midst. For all those waiting, Christ is on the way.       

Prayer

God, be with us as we wait expectantly for you. Give us renewed hope. Remind us that you are never far away. Amen.