December 21 Advent Devotion Written by Sheltina Hart

Trisha Huffman | December 21, 2015

I have to say I have never written a devotion before, and it scares me a little to do so, but here goes. My verse is Isaiah 42:14-21.

In verse 14, it reads, “For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back.” For those of you who know me well, it may come as a surprise, but I can totally relate to this statement. This goes back many years to my youth. I am from a small town and never really felt like I fit in there. Things I believed and the way I thought were a lot different than most of the people there. So as a result, I tended to keep quiet about my thoughts and beliefs. I still tend to keep my thoughts to myself when talking to some people. I prefer to keep my mouth shut rather than start an argument. I decided it was best not to talk about my political or religious beliefs. Is this the right way to be? I don’t have a clue, but it seems to make my life a little easier. Of course, I will then vent to Don or my close friends about what I wish I could have said to those people.

I don’t exactly know why I do this. I think it might be my inner hippie coming out. I have always said, “Why can’t we all just get along? Why can’t we all love one another and have peace in the world?” I have lost most of my naive thoughts over the years and have had to realize this will probably not happen in my life. But that doesn’t stop me from imagining what this world would be like if we could all just get along, no matter what we believe.

Prayer: Lord, help us to find love in one another, rather than hate. Help us to find the good in others, rather than always finding the flaws. Help us to all get along no matter our beliefs or political affiliation. Help us to have positive thoughts rather than negative thoughts. Help us follow the path you want us to go down. Help me to speak out in times when I should speak and to keep silent in times I should not speak.  Amen.