O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: An Advent Devotional - December 3, 2019

Tuesday, December 3
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
This psalm is in part a prayer that the king ruling over Israel would be a good king. It is a prayer that the king would rule with justice and righteousness. It is a prayer that the king would pay attention to the needs of the poor and needy while not letting oppressors get away with their unjust actions.

Many of the kings of Israel (and Judah) that we read about in the Bible didn’t live up to the hopes of this prayer—not even close! The result was suffering and hardship for many people. We learn in the New Testament that Jesus is God’s true King–the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is God’s gift of a truly righteous king who can ensure justice, provide relief for the poor, and resist the oppressors. May we receive the gift of Jesus’ leadership in our lives and our communities this Advent season.

God who makes wrong things right, help us to trust Jesus as our leader and our Savior. Show us how we can be part of Jesus’ rule as we go through our daily lives. May your kingdom come, your will be done. Amen.

From O Come, O Come Emmanuel, a publication of Luther Seminary. Used with permission. You may download O Come, O Come Emmanuel via this link. If you subscribe to Luther Seminary’s God Pause, you will receive O Come, O Come, Emmanuel in your email inbox each day of Advent. If you’re not a God Pause subscriber, sign up here and select “God Pause Daily Devotions.” You’ll continue to receive daily God Pause devotions, written by Luther Seminary alumni, after Advent ends.

Writers: Michael Binder ’17, Affiliate Faculty in Congregational Mission and Leadership; Amy Marga, Associate Professor of Systematic Theology. Theological Editor: James L. Boyce ’71, Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Greek. Cover photo by Elizabeth Explores on Unsplash.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: An Advent Devotional – December 3, 2019

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