Advent Devotional December 7, 2026

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Devotion

The Rev. Charlotte Mace, Doctor of Ministry Student, Reformed Focus

You are people of the light! You are the kind of people who every morning dress yourselves in faith and love. You put on your head the hope of salvation. Paul paints a pretty nice picture of Christ-followers with his encouraging message, but why did he feel the need to remind people that they were so full of goodness? I believe the clue might be in the first few words: “concerning times and seasons.” I spend a lot of time considering times and seasons myself: “When will this pass? When will this happen? Is this coming next?” We are created to want to know what to expect. It can wear us down, always trying to anticipate what might happen next.

The time of Advent is an encouragement to learn to wait on the Lord. As my mother always said: "You can't choose what happens to you, but you can always choose how you will respond." Learning to wait with patience and kindness is a spiritual strength. Learning to live with a peace in your heart as you wait through "times and seasons" is a spiritual discipline. Both require that we draw from the strength of the Lord so that we might live in a way where our anxiousness doesn't drive who we are. We are called to develop peace within ourselves, both for our own benefit and to encourage others. We are asked to live in hope and to let our faith and love shine for all the world to see.

We are in a “time and season” when the world needs a lot more of hope, peace, joy, and love. May this time of Advent be the reminder we need to live out peace in this time and season. Amen.

Prayer

Good and Faithful God,
We have written on our hearts to trust in You,
and yet so quickly the worries of the
times and season catch us unaware.
Let us be students of Your peace.
In our Advent-waiting, let us remember
to encourage one another,
and share Your goodness with the world.

In Christ's name,
amen.

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