Sunday Scripture

 

 In 2013, I did an Advent study with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download, so if you're interested you can head on over there and get it.  Scroll down and click on the book-like image with an illustration of candy canes, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

Each week of this Advent study focuses on a theme: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.  I plan to do a very simple Sunday Scripture post here using this study, and then also on my regular blog, throughout the first four weeks of December.  The first week's verses are focused on Hope. 

Today's Scripture is Isaiah 60:19-20.  In the actual study, this one was from December 5 -- just in case you downloaded the study and are following along with it.

S= "The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God, thy glory.
"The sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended."  (Isaiah 60:19-20)

O=  In the Scofield Study Bible,  C.I. Scofield titled this chapter "Glorious Zion in the Kingdom Age" and, indeed, these verses sound as if they could be right out of Revelation. 

 It seems God was telling Israel here that in that day -- the day when all nations acknowledge Him as King -- that the days of their mourning will be ended.  They would not need to rely on the sun or moon for light, but He Himself would be their light.

A= In keeping with this week's theme of "Hope", these words from God spoken to His people by Isaiah surely would have given them hope for the future.  I find them hopeful myself, especially as I look down to verse 21 -- "Thy people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified."

God is my light, as well, thinking back to verses 19 and 20 again.  He is the true Light and He also wants His people to be light in a dark world.

P= "Lord, I praise You that You are the light of the world.  I praise You for the blessed hope of Your return, and for the fact that in that day Your everlasting light will outshine the sun and the moon.  

"But in the here and now, You have called me out of darkness and into Your marvelous light.  I know that You want me to glorify You and to be light in the darkness of our culture.  I pray that You would help me to consistently be that undimmed light that You desire for me to be.  I thank You for all that You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

And there's our simple Sunday Scripture for this week.  I hope it has been a blessing to someone.