You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

This is Scripture Saturday, a time when we pause and reflect on the scriptures we have read throughout the week. If you missed any of our devotionals on these passages, you can find them on our website at 1stChurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. Welcome and thank you for joining us.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

As a child, I got to watch the Peanuts Christmas special on TV, and I loved it! Especially the part when Linus comes to the stage in the spotlight and recites this verse, among others. I remember thinking to myself, “ Why did the angels decide to tell the shepherds instead of the important people of those days? Wouldn’t the word get out faster if they gave this momentous news to the bigwigs?” It wasn’t till much later that I realized that God blessed these humble shepherds with this message to show His inclusivity, that He often chooses the humble to accomplish His purposes.

“Fear Not.”

The angel’s first command is meant to calm the shepherds’ fear in the face of this supernatural appearance. I can imagine how scared I would be to encounter a heavenly being! But also, it serves as a message of reassurance for those who might be afraid of the news. The next notable thing to me in this passage is that the angel says the joyful news will be for all the people, not just for the Jewish people. God continues His message of inclusivity. And it reminds me of how often Jesus himself said these words to his followers.

Finally, the core of the message includes Savior (He rescues people from their sin), Christ ( or Messiah, the long-awaited King from the line of David), and Lord ( He has the ultimate authority and rules over all). These three titles that the angel gives to describe Jesus pretty much sum up this amazing pronouncement. What Joy those shepherds must have experienced to hear this news!

It’s always great to hear the news about a new baby, but how astounding it would have been to be the first to hear the news about THIS special baby!

Dear Lord, may we always feel the amazing joy when we hear the story of Your birth. And may we be always thankful that You came to us as our Savior. Amen.

This devotional was written by Virginia Hardwick and read by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Our scripture today is Isaiah 40:31 from the New Revised Standard Version. “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

I am not good at waiting. I’ve improved as I’ve gotten older, but I’m still pretty impatient. Waiting has always seemed passive to me, and I want to be doing something … anything … other than waiting.

While studying this scripture, I learned that the Hebrew verb translated as “wait” in this passage is qavah (kah-vah). It’s related to qav (kahv), which means cord or rope. One source I consulted suggested imagining a rope being pulled tight and stretched out. Qavah is the feeling of anticipation at the release of tension.

Qavah is sometimes translated as “hope.” We don’t wait for the best solution or for our circumstances to change. We are to wait for the Lord. The tension of our current circumstances can only be relieved by the Lord.

Being bad at waiting, I can certainly relate to that tension. But I can also recognize that, even in that tension … or maybe especially in that tension … I am waiting on the Lord. Like the Israelites, I remember how the Lord has been with me in the past and how He can be trusted with my future. My hope is in the Lord while I wait and in every circumstance.

During this Advent, let’s remember to wait on the Lord who came to us as a lowly infant.

Lord, help us to enjoy this season of hope and of waiting. May we remember your faithfulness and continue to wait for you to renew our strength. We ask this in the name of your son, Jesus, who entered our world so many years ago. Amen.

This devotional was written by Kathryn King and read by Sally Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.