Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Mark D. Roberts

Home
Evangelical
Advent Devotion: Waiting for the Shepherd

Advent Devotion: Waiting for the Shepherd

Last updated on: November 29, 2015 at 11:29 am by Mark D. Roberts

Advent Devotion: Waiting for the Shepherd 2015-11-29T11:29:26-06:00 Mark D. Roberts

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!”

Psalm 80:1-2

Introduction to Advent Devotions

This is the first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of the season in which Christians throughout the world prepare for a fuller, richer celebration of the birth of Jesus. Advent is a time of expectation, waiting, and hope. During the four weeks before Christmas, we put ourselves back into the mindset of the Jews as they yearned for a Messiah two millennia ago. Moreover, we get in touch with our own hope for the second coming of the Messiah. (The word advent comes from a Latin word that means “coming” or “visit.”)

During Advent, my devotions for Life for Leaders will focus on some of the themes of this season. If you’d like to learn more about Advent, you can check out the resource links at the end of this reflection.

Advent Devotion from Psalm 80

Psalm 80 begins with a cry to God, who is addressed as the “Shepherd of Israel” because he has led Joseph’s descendants as a literal shepherd would lead a flock of sheep. The psalmist cries out to the divine shepherd because God’s people are in need of deliverance and only God is strong enough to save them.

Why do the Israelites need to be rescued? Because the protective walls of their cities have been broken down, allowing enemies to enter at will and steal from them (80:12). These enemies have cut down and burned the Israelites as if they were a grapevine to be destroyed (80:14-16). Thus, God’s people have been eating sorrow and drinking their own tears (80:5). They need their Good Shepherd to save them because they are helpless and hopeless.

In the season of Advent, we get in touch with just how much we also need God’s help. Some of us need to experience his saving power for the first time. Others of us, who have received his grace through Christ, are in need of other kinds of salvation. Perhaps we need to be delivered from bondage to alcohol or drugs. Perhaps we need our Shepherd to mend our broken hearts and our shattered families. Or perhaps we sense that only by God’s power will the hungry of the world be fed, the poor be lifted out of their poverty, and the oppressed set free. Thus, like the author of Psalm 80, we yearn for divine deliverance.

Jesus Christ came as our Good Shepherd, the one who saves us, nurtures us, and seeks us when we are lost. In a few weeks we will celebrate his birth among us. For now, we get in touch with just how much we need him. We turn our minds and hearts to the Lord, crying out in the words of Psalm 80: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel . . . Stir up your might, and come to save us!”

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

Have you cried out to God to deliver you?

When you think of God as your Good Shepherd, how does this impact your feelings and actions?

In what ways do you need to experience God’s salvation in your life?

Will you let Advent be a time for you to get in touch with just how much you need the Lord?

PRAYER:

Indeed, O Lord, you are our Shepherd, the Good Shepherd who knows and cares for his sheep. Thank you for paying attention to your people. Thank you for wanting the best for us. Thank you for reaching out to us in your mercy. Thank you for saving us, nurturing us, guiding us, and protecting us.

Thank you for being not just the Good Shepherd for all, but my Good Shepherd as well. Thank you for all those times you have reached out in mercy to help me. How good you are to me!

Yet, as you know, I still need your help. So I cry out to you today, “Give ear, my Shepherd. Stir up your might, and come to save me!”

I pray in the name of the Good Shepherd. Amen.

SUBSCRIBE TO LIFE FOR LEADERS DAILY DEVOTIONS

If you have found this devotion helpful, you can receive one just like this each morning in your email inbox. You can subscribe for free and unsubscribe at any time. To learn more about the Life for Leaders devotions, click here.

ADVENT RESOURCES:

Introduction to Advent.

Advent Devotional Guide: Preparing for the Coming of Christ.

Introduction to the Christian Year.

My e-book, Discovering Advent: How to Experience the Power of Waiting on God at Christmastime, available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

An earlier version of this devotion appeared at The High Calling. It is used with permission under a Creative Commons license.

Image Credit: Christmas Advent Calendar Mittens by Anders Ruff Custom Designs via CC BY-ND 2.0.

Advent

Life for Leaders

Previous Post

April 22, 2015

God of Peaches

Next Post

December 4, 2015 Leaders Need a Great Heart

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Advent Calendar Alissa Wilkinson Archeology Art and Faith Ash Wednesday Bible Books Business Business and Faith Christian Year (Liturgical or Church Year) Christmas Christmas according to Dickens Christmas, Culture, and Christ Christmas: Keeping Christmas Well Church and Culture Church and Ministry Church and Technology Church Life Church: What is a Church? Cities Code of Ethics for Pastors Contentment Creativity Cultural Commentary Culture Daily Reflections Dallas Willard Deliberating on Digital Dignity Easter Education Ephesus and the New Testament Ethics Eugene Peterson Evangelical Existential Questions Faith Faith and Work Family Food Friendship Fun Good Reads Gospel Centered Christianity Grace Handel's Messiah Harvard University Health High Calling History Holidays Holy Spirit Holy Week Hospitality How Does God Guide Us? Hunger Games Insights for Leaders - De Pree Center Inspiration from the High Calling Jesus Jesus: Following Him as a Disciple Jesus: Seven Last Words Jesus: Was Jesus Married? Jesus: What Was His Message? Jesus: Why Did He Have to Die? Laity Lodge Leadership Leadership Conversation Lent Les Miserables Life for Leaders Linda's Advent Doodles Linda's Lenten Doodles Living Well Loving Neighbors Max De Pree Center for Leadership Mental Health Mission of God and Missional Church Money Moral Dilemmas Mormonism Movies Nature New York City Pastors and Churches Pentecost Photos to Share Poetry Police Blotter Politics Prayer Preachers Portal Preaching Presbyterian Church Quotations Reading the Times Recommendations Reflecting on Technology Religion and Culture Ruminations Sabbath Science Seven Last Words Sexual Harassment Social Media Something to Think About Spiritual Warfare Sports Stations of the Cross Stephen Hawking: Heaven and Faith Stories Technology and Culture Technology and Education Technology and Mental Health Technology Bits Texas Thanksgiving The High Calling Thin Places Uncategorized Vocation Women Words Work Worship

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 April 2015 March 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 November 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did the angel tell the shepherds?

Select your answer to see how you score.

To Not Be Afraid All of These Things How to Recognize the Newborn Savior The Location of the Newborn Savior