Bethel CRC Lacombe

Today we will reflect on Psalm 146, A God of Justice. Psalm 146 is one of the Psalms of Ascent, which the people of Israel would sing as they come up the road to Jerusalem. As they came close to the city they would see the temple, and near the temple, they would see the palace of the king. Psalm 146 reminds the people to place their trust in the eternal God over the kings who came and went. Kings were not always kings of justice, so the temple gave the people hope because our God is a God of justice, a God who hears the cries of his people.

We are in the time of Christmas this week. We will be continuing our Advent theme Pay Attention to the Dreams. Today we will be reflecting on Matthew 2, Dreams to Protect and Guide. This is a hard story of evil. Herod sees the infant Jesus as a threat and seeks to murder him. God works through dreams to Joseph and the Magi to protect Jesus; leading Joseph and his family to a place of safety. Evil is still in the world today, and Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures to guide us away from evil, to provide comfort and strength when evil enters our lives, and hope in knowing that evil will be overcome by Jesus.

Today we will reflect on Psalm 126 and Luke 2:1-20, Like Those Who Dreamed. Psalm 126 is a Psalm of Ascent and reminds us to the return home from the exile during the time of Nehemiah. But the restoration is not complete. This points us to the coming of Jesus and his second coming when our dreams of the restoration of all things will be made complete, but in his first coming already, hope shines forth as we wait for that glorious day

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will reflect on Daniel 2:24-47, The Rock That Really Rolls. Daniel is an advisor to the king of Babylon; God has placed him in the center of power of the most powerful empire at the time. Daniel hears of dreams that have troubled King Nebuchadnezzar, and because his wisemen were unable to interpret them, all of them, including Daniel, are sentenced to death. Daniel steps in and asks for time to consult God, who shows him the future of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom and the kingdoms following his. He shows them that they will all crumble under the power and might of the kingdom of God. This brings the king to a place where he confesses that Daniel’s God is the God of gods.

Today we will reflect on Psalm 46, Fortress and Refuge. Most of us, when we think of Psalm 46, think of the words, “Be still, and know that I am God.” It’s the context that makes these words so important. The psalmist amid uproar and chaos, and in spite, or even because of the chaos, he hears the Lord invite him to “Be still, and know that I am God ."