Opening Prayer
Let Your Word, O Lord, enlighten our eyes and shine on our path. Amen.
Text: Daniel 9:15-19
“And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day – we have sinned, we have done wickedly! O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all who are around us. Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Devotion
There was a deep feeling of sin and guilt in holy Daniel. He acknowledged heartily that God had done all things well, but that he and his people had done evil. Daniel was a man of great faithfulness and pure fear of God from childhood on, so that the Scripture never once mentions any weakness in him. But inside he feels at one with his people, so their sins are his and his are theirs. We, we have sinned, he says. He bows down, crushed under the Lord’s judgments. His whole soul confesses that they are righteous. This is true conversion to God. Such hearts receive joy in the Lord.
Let us also see our life in the light of God’s face. Hasn’t He made His name great over us? Could He show us greater love than giving His only-begotten Son? Didn’t He adopt us as His children in Holy Baptism, and since then hasn’t He sought us and borne with us with incredibly great patience? Try to imagine in one heap in front of you all the gifts you received from Him, all the spiritual and physical blessings He gave you, and consider how you have thanked Him and paid Him back. Then you will be terrified by your sin, and marvel at His grace and goodness. All that He brought upon you was love. Even His righteous judgments worked together in the service of mercy. He wanted to enable you to get out of the devil’s snare, and to give you the peace and joy of a new heart. Therefore He chastened you and let you taste the bitter fruit of your own sins and those of your forefathers. But you didn’t understand. “The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider” (Isa 1:3). So now let the truth control your thoughts. Think no longer contrary to God’s Word, but let God the Holy Spirit shape your thoughts according to the Word. Then you receive Daniel’s attitude – and whoever prays as he does is ready to hear the Christmas Gospel.
Closing Prayer
Give us this grace, merciful God! Let Your Spirit show us our sin and lead us gently to the Fount of grace. Amen.
Hymn
When sinners see their lost condition
And feel the pressing load of sin,
And Jesus cometh on His mission
To heal the sin-sick heart within,
All grief must flee before His grace
And joy divine will take its place.
When Jesus enters meek and lowly
To fill the home with sweetest peace;
When hearts have felt His blessing holy
And found from sin complete release;
Then light and calm within shall reign
And hearts divided love again.
When Jesus enters land and nation,
And moves the people with His love,
When yielding to His kind persuasion,
Our hearts His truth and blessings prove,
Then shall our life on earth be blest,
The peace of God on us shall rest.
Landstad: When sinners see their lost condition L 124:1-3 ELH 111:1-3 tr. O. H. Smeby;
tune: Wer weiss