Thursday after Populus Sion, The Second Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 9, 2021 by under
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:2-9 (NKJV)
1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
Devotion
What does it take for us to be satisfied? Would we rather have more earthly goods, or knowledge, or glory? Or are we focused on growing closer to the God who sent His Son to pay the ransom for our sins?
St. Peter here encourages us to pursue virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and brotherly love. Where and how are we to pursue these things? We find these through His promises! His promises can be found in Scripture, where we learn of God’s great mercy and capacity to forgive. If we are satisfied, we are short-sighted–maybe even blind! Maybe, if we are satisfied, we are thinking too little of the sinful condition that God has rescued us from, claiming us as His own. He calls to us in Word and Sacrament, teaching us and sustaining our faith in Him through the work of the Holy Spirit. Are we weak? Sometimes we stumble and fall into sin. Are we ignorant? There is always more for us to learn of God and His Word. Are we intemperate or impatient? God will teach us discipline and patience. Do we find ourselves cold and unfeeling towards our neighbors? God’s Word will give us the strength and will to serve Him, and each other. May we always flee for refuge in our weakness to His Word, and always be eager to learn and do more to serve Him.
Prayer: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Advent: Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
