December 10th Advent Devotional

December 10

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills—

from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

-Psalm 121:1-2

God directed my path to First Baptist Church Murfreesboro in the mid-eighties. I was looking for a new church to attend. About that time, I met Jean Cotey. She invited me to the Homemaker’s Sunday School class that she taught. For years that class was a wonderful experience in my Christian growth journey.

Every year on the first Sunday of December there was great anticipation in our class. Jean had a tradition of preparing our hearts for the Christmas season, and we always looked forward to it. She began by reading The Christmas Story from Luke 2 and then proceeded to read a heart-warming Christmas story called “A Candle in the Forest.” There were many great lessons in that story. It was a seasoned reminder of God’s love for us—His watching over us, His providing for us—as well as the importance of being content while loving and caring for others.

Jean always welcomed our class into her home for our annual Christmas party and gave each of us a small gift.  At the last party she hosted before retiring from our class, the gift she shared was a rolled paper document wrapped with red ribbon—a treasured copy of the story that she had so lovingly shared with us through the years, marked with a tag as A Gift of Remembrance from Jean. It couldn’t have been more heart felt, and it continues to be one of my most treasured gifts.

This passage reminds us that our help comes from God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He provides protection as our constant guardian, continuously watchful by day and by night. He is our keeper, providing safety, peace and deliverance for His people. This assures believers that God’s watchful care is available through all of life’s trials. This Psalm serves as a source of reassurance for believers throughout our lives from beginning to end. May we each remember God’s great love for us.

Judy Hailey