Advent Reflection – Day 17

An Advent Reflection by Karen Gorham, Bishop of Sherborne.

Read

Luke 1:67-75 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty saviour for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Reflect

It always amazes me when I reflect in Advent on how many Old Testament prophecies there were about the coming of the Messiah, and how much we learn when those steeped in the study of Scripture make sense of Jesus. Here we have the father of John the Baptist recollecting what he knew. These prophecies now live for us in our own Christian worship and so the richness of the living word of God continues to move through generations.

Pray

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning: help us so to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and for ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

Act

Write out ten promises of God from the Old Testament which you can take with you into Christmas and the New Year.

-Karen Gorham, Bishop of Sherborne.

You can read all of the Advent Reflections via the following link – Advent Reflections 2019.