“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Christ promises us that he will be with us always, until the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). He is working to make all things new (Rev. 21:5), and everything in the breadth of creation will be reconciled to Jesus (Col. 1:20).
But what if, in the meantime, wars rage, poverty swells, and hateful ideologies run amok in our world? In our pursuit of a life of faith that embodies the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), how do we wait patiently on the Lord’s work in the midst of hopelessness? During a season in which political polarization, the largest refugee crisis our world has ever seen, and the effects of climate change are manifest around the globe, it can be difficult to hear the words of the psalmist who wrote, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Ps. 43:5)
During this Advent season, World Renew and the Office of Social Justice invite you, through our email devotions, to reflect on patiently waiting on the Lord’s work in the midst of difficulty and despair.
Our Lord commands us not only to look forward to the day of his return but also to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with him (Mic. 6:8). As people called to do justice in this world that belongs to God, in this world in which so many people are marginalized and oppressed, and knowing that our work isn’t done in vain, we embody a holy impatience, taking up faith that the gospel is indeed true, good news, while celebrating glimpses in the kingdom and eagerly yearning for what is to come. So we tend our gardens and seek to take care of the earth, we build koinonia, we do justice, and we pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matt. 6:10).
The devotions will be delivered to your email every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of Advent.
Join us as we explore and wrestle with what doing justice with a holy impatience means this Advent. Go to crcna.org/advent to sign up today!
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