Every Good Gift: A 28-Day Advent DevotionalSample

This week we have reflected on how God’s commandments are the revelation of His perfect will. And when Jesus came, it was with the mission to fulfill the perfect will of The Father. He left us with the same commandment: follow my commandments that your joy may be full. 

As we joyfully prepare our hearts for Christmas, let us also reflect on the joy that is produced in our lives through our good deeds. As we have studied and prayed this week, we have seen that there is a joy that is already present in our lives, the one we received when we accepted the life of Jesus. The joy of our salvation. Even in the storms of life, we are called to guard this joy at all costs.

We’ve also reflected daily on the fullness of joy that is found in the presence of God. We see that as we consistently worship God in the place of prayer, just as Jesus did constantly, we have access to this full joy. We draw from the abundance available in God. 

Finally, this week, we walked with Jesus as He showed us what it means to walk in God’s perfect will for our lives. What it looks like to walk in alignment with the words, “it is written.” (Matthew 4) He teaches us that to love God is to follow His Word and obey it. David puts it this way: “Your word have I hidden in my heart, so that I will not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

Jesus makes us this beautiful promise: “If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:10)

Obey God, that your joy may be complete. 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Jesus captures all the commandments in these two. And He showed us how to live them. 

It’s true: there is a different kind of joy that comes with knowing you are walking in the will of God. There is an abundant joy that overflows within you when you know that you are helping and transforming lives. That you are making an impact by helping people see and know Jesus. 

May this be our testimony. That we begin to love God with everything we are and have. That we pursue His Word with a deep hunger and thirst and when we find it, may we walk in obedience to it. That we find our purpose in His Word and fulfill His Will. 

Prayer: 

Father, I love You, but I want to love You more. I want to know You more. I desire a fresh encounter with You and a thirst for Your word. Holy Spirit, pour upon me the spirit of prayer, so that I can keep coming to You and learning. Help me to live as Jesus did, to desire Your will above all things. Father, help me to find my purpose in Your Kingdom agenda, so that I can fulfill Your will for my life through good deeds done in love, that my joy may be full. Amen.