4th Sunday in advent

Written by: Kiriane Johnson

Romans 16:25-27

²⁵ Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, ²⁶ but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from^[a] faith— ²⁷ to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Final Prayer

Final prayer

²⁵ May the glory be to God who can strengthen you with my good news and the message that I preach about Jesus Christ. He can strengthen you with the announcement of the secret^[a] that was kept quiet for a long time. ²⁶ Now that secret is revealed through what the prophets wrote. It is made known to the Gentiles^[b] in order to lead to their faithful obedience based on the command of the eternal God. ²⁷ May the glory be to God, who alone is wise! May the glory be to him through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.

Story:

As I sit and read the Final Prayer over and over, with each word meaning more and more, I think about the words “Glory be to God”, say it with me…”GLORY BE TO GOD”…AMEN! I sit and think about how this past year has been and I reflect not on the negative but on the positive. God truly blessed us with the coming of his son, Jesus Christ. He has given us the opportunity to listen, to learn and to love. What greater gift as a human could we have asked for?! Every day you step out into the world and have the opportunity to praise him for all that he has done by sharing that joy with the world. Now I know sometimes life can throw you a curveball and it may not make perfect sense as to why you may be dealing with what was thrown at you but God has given us the strength to persevere and to keep going forward, he is always by our side. I would like to share a quick story with you about someone very close to me. My mother was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer 2 years ago. When I heard the news I was upset, angry as to how could I be so young and possibly lose my mother. I prayed and prayed, asking for answers. My mother is the type of woman who can see the light in any storm, can be the smile that changes the world, her positivity is where I see the light of God and the glory of Jesus. She never questions as to why she has cancer but how she can use this to help others. I ask myself; how could I be more like her; how could I be more like Jesus? As I travel my own journey in my faith, I think about this every day. As the Holiday Season is approaching it truly is a time to be thankful. We need be thankful for God, thankful for him bringing is son to us, thankful for our families, thankful for our friends, thankful to be alive. Every day we wake up, we take a deep breath, and we praise “Glory be to God” for he has given us more than we could have ever asked for. God truly is glorious.

Prayer:

Let us fill our hearts with praise for God. Let us be thankful for the gift of his son, Jesus Christ. Let us live every day in our faith and love for him. Let us share this joy with the world. Amen.