Advent Begins

I am so glad that the Advent Season is beginning. I now have a reason and purpose in making daily "devotionals" with the kids last for an hour! Ok, maybe not an hour, but close.

Last night, we read from Jotham's Journey and put our first Jesse tree ornament up. I love the anticipation of the Season. There is a growing intensity in me (that started weeks ago as I prepared).

I think I know the purpose of all this. Preparing the heart.

I read recently that the celebration of Advent is not only looking back in history to the first coming of Christ, but looking ahead to His second coming. I have missed that prophetic part of this celebration for years. 34 of them, to be exact. I pray that all this will build an excitement and anticipation in my own children's hearts.

Presumptous sins - Psalm 19

Yesterday, I heard Adrian Rogers speak on Gideon's army. God doesn't look for the strong, the smart, the capable. He chooses the weak things to confound the strong. The foolish things to confound the wise. That started the process of recognition of sin in my own life. I'm not being used of God for my own ablilities. If God allows me to join with Him at all it is because I'm humble enough to recognize my own frailty and inability and have faith that only He can.

Secondly, I heard from Moon Williams that meditation on the Lord is the central birthing place for right thinking in believers. I recognized that my meditations weren't pure as of late. I've been meditating on my own worth and ability. (Yuck - it sickens me to admit this.) My test came and I failed this one.

Psalm 19:13-14 says, "Also keep back Thy servant from presumptous sins:
Let them not rule over me:
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer."

Presumptous sins. Unfortunately, that sums it up for me. Arrogant, immoral actions. Haughty thoughts and words. I'm done with it...again. I'm so thankful for the grace of God that leads me to places of restoration!