Look Back to Move Forward This Advent

Devotional

Day 1: God's people receive abundant blessing and fearless hope.

When worry creeps in while unpacking tubs and hauling that tree out of the basement, remember that the faithful are promised blessing, light in the darkness, and a steady heart that is not afraid of bad news; let the picture of grace poured out on God’s people reshape the way you look at every small holiday anxiety and the bigger fears about the future. [41:01]

Psalm 112 (ESV)
1 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry; he gnashes his teeth and melts away; the desire of the wicked will perish!

Reflection: Name one specific worry that tends to surface during this season; read Psalm 112 aloud tonight and write one verse or short phrase from it that directly counters that worry, then save that line on your phone and read it whenever anxiety arises today.

Day 2: Remember God's past redemption to trust the future.

When preparing for Christmas and looking forward to the return of Christ, intentionally look backward at God’s acts of deliverance—how he brought Israel out of slavery, parted the sea, and kept covenant—to build confidence that the same faithful God will keep his promises tomorrow; let past rescue stories become fuel for future hope. [43:06]

Psalm 111 (ESV)
1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name!
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Reflection: Tonight, pick one story of God’s past deliverance (an Old Testament example or a personal rescues), write a short paragraph describing how God acted then, and send that paragraph to one person before the week ends so the memory of God’s faithfulness strengthens your hope for tomorrow.

Day 3: Emmanuel: God became man for our salvation.

Celebrate the truth that the King of all creation was willing to be born as a helpless baby, fed and changed by ordinary hands, so that God would be truly with us; let the incarnation—God becoming man—be the concrete reminder that God desires relationship with you here and now, even amid the chaos of holiday logistics. [46:02]

Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
23 "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

Reflection: Choose one holiday action you will do today (decorate a tree, light an Advent candle, sing a carol) and do it intentionally as a declaration of "Emmanuel, God with us"; while you do it, pray for God to reveal his presence in one anxious area of your life and note what arises.

Day 4: God keeps covenant; he delivers his people.

When fear about the future presses in, remember that God has a pattern of faithful rescue—bringing Noah through the flood, delivering Israel out of Egypt, keeping covenant promises—so practical preparation can be done without living from a place of dread because the Lord fights for his people and acts on their behalf. [43:46]

Exodus 14:13-14 (ESV)
13 And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again.
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent."

Reflection: Identify one present "Red Sea" problem that feels overwhelming (finances, travel, family conflict); name one practical step you will take today toward that issue, then read Exodus 14:13-14 aloud and do that step in faith.

Day 5: Saved by grace; nothing can separate us.

Hold fast to the assurance that baptism and God’s grace mark you as his child, and that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection secure a future without fear—no bad gift, storm, or mistake can change the truth that nothing in all creation can separate you from God’s love. [47:39]

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reflection: Find (or write) the date or memory of your baptism or a moment you experienced God’s grace; today write "I am a baptized child of God" on an index card and place it somewhere you will see often this week, and when doubts come read Romans 8:38-39 aloud.

Sermon Summary

Advent has arrived, and with it all the decorations, travel plans, and little anxieties that seem to multiply this time of year. I joked about my “hard-and-fast rule” on Christmas music and hauling the tubs and the tree upstairs, but beneath the humor is a real admission: this season often stirs up worry. Weather. Family dynamics. Gifts. Travel. Even puppies. The calendar says it’s “the happiest time of the year,” and yet our hearts can tremble over the future.

Advent addresses that exact ache. It is a season of preparation, not only for Christmas but ultimately for Jesus’ return. That means our eyes naturally look forward—where anxiety loves to live. Psalm 112 meets us there with a startling promise: the righteous are not afraid of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. But Psalm 112 sits beside Psalm 111, and that pairing matters. The way forward, Scripture says, is to look backward—to the God who has already acted, already saved, already bound himself to us in a covenant he keeps.

So we rehearse the past on purpose. We remember the God who brought Israel out of Egypt, who split the sea, who kept them in exile and brought them home. And in Advent, we remember the greater Exodus—God with us, born of Mary, entrusted to Joseph’s rough hands, the infinite made infant. The manger is our proof that God moves toward us in love. The cross is our proof that he ends the reign of sin. The empty tomb is our proof that death doesn’t get the last word. And baptism is our proof that those victories have our name on them.

That memory doesn’t erase wise planning; it simply rewrites the motive. Prepare, yes, but not from fear. Haul the tubs and string the lights, but let them preach to your anxiety: Emmanuel happened. Emmanuel happens. Emmanuel will happen again. If gifts fall flat, if the weather interrupts, if the budget groans—none of it overturns the covenant love of God. The past tells you what to expect from the future: Jesus keeps his promises. He has come. He has overcome. And he is coming back.

Key Takeaways

1. Look forward by looking back Our fears fixate on what might come, but Scripture teaches us to steady our hearts by remembering what God has already done. Psalm 111 recalls redemption and covenant so that Psalm 112 can say, “Do not fear bad news.” Memory becomes spiritual resistance against anxiety. Rehearsed faithfulness becomes present courage. [42:29]
2. Prepare your future without fear Planning isn’t the problem; panic is. The incarnation, cross, and resurrection have already secured the most important outcomes—your standing with God and your ultimate future with him. So make plans, but not as if the future depends on your grip; it rests in his hands. Prudence flows from trust, not dread. [46:02]
3. Let ordinary rituals become remembrance Dragging the tree upstairs, opening tubs, hanging lights—let these humble acts become cues to recall God’s faithfulness. The season is full of liturgies; use them as signposts to the manger, not as pressure to manufacture perfection. When decorations become reminders, they trade anxiety for adoration. [44:26]
4. You are named, baptized, secure Identity is the anchor Advent offers: you are a baptized child of God, saved by grace, loved and redeemed. That doesn’t change with travel delays, awkward gifts, or strained conversations. Let your givenness in Christ set the tone in rooms where you feel you must prove yourself. Security frees you to love. [46:40]
5. Do not fear bad news Psalm 112 doesn’t deny bad news exists; it denies bad news the power to define us. Hearts become steadfast not by wishful thinking but by trusting a covenant-keeping God. The gospel doesn’t promise a painless December; it promises an unshakable hope that outlives every headline. [41:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:42] - Advent begins and my house rule
[37:44] - Happiest season meets our anxiety
[38:08] - Travel plans and a new puppy
[39:02] - Weather worries and attendance
[39:33] - Family tensions and safety
[40:00] - Fear of the future surfaces
[40:24] - Advent: preparing for Christ’s return
[41:01] - Psalm 112: picture of blessing
[41:59] - Not afraid of bad news
[42:29] - Look forward by looking back
[43:46] - All signs point to Jesus
[44:26] - Let decorations preach the gospel
[44:57] - The humility of the Incarnation
[46:02] - Prepare wisely, not fearfully

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 112 — 1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. 5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. 6 For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. 7 He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. 9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.

Observation Questions

Read Psalm 112:1–4. What specific blessings or characteristics does the psalm attach to “the man who fears the LORD”? How do those descriptors shape a picture of everyday life?
Psalm 112:7 says, “He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.” In your own words, what does this verse mean? How would you summarize it to someone worried about an uncertain future?
The preacher connects Psalm 112 with Psalm 111 and says the way forward is to look backward. What examples from Israel’s past did he list to show God’s covenant-keeping faithfulness? [43:06]
The preacher told a few ordinary Advent images (decorating, tubs, tree). What did he suggest those ordinary acts can do for our hearts during Advent? [44:26]

Interpretation Questions

How should a person use memories of God’s past covenant-keeping (as the preacher links Psalm 111 to Psalm 112) to resist present anxiety? [42:29]
How does the claim that “the righteous will not be afraid of bad news” function theologically: is it a promise about emotional experience, a statement about trust, or both? What limits or qualifications does the psalm itself provide? [41:59]
The preacher says one should “prepare wisely, not fearfully.” How would a person distinguish planning that flows from trust versus planning that flows from panic? What practical differences would appear? [46:40]
The sermon highlights ordinary rituals (decorating, lights) as liturgical cues. How might turning a household ritual into a gospel reminder change the family’s interactions and priorities during Advent? [44:26]

Application Questions

Name one specific pre-Christmas worry that has been taking up real time or energy for you (travel, weather, money, family tension, a new pet, etc.). This week, what concrete steps will you take to hand that worry to God (a plan, a conversation, a prayer routine)? [38:08]
Choose one Advent task in your home (putting up the tree, taking out tubs, wrapping gifts, lighting the Advent wreath). How will you use that task this year as a deliberate reminder of God’s covenant faithfulness? Describe exactly what you will say or do while you do it. [44:26]
Identify one upcoming family or social interaction that could become tense (a dinner, a conversation, a relative). How will your identity as a baptized child of God change the way you respond in that moment? List two specific words or actions you will try instead of reacting in fear or defensiveness. [47:12]
Make a short, concrete plan to prepare for a predictable Advent need (trip packing, budget for gifts, weather backup). List three steps you will take that show prudence but are rooted in trust rather than panic. [46:40]
Think of one person you worry about spiritually—someone you hope will know Jesus “before he comes back.” Name that person and commit to one specific, achievable action this month to share the gospel or invite them into a spiritual conversation. [40:48]
Pick Psalm 112:7 or another short verse from this study. Write a one-sentence prayer or a one-line Scripture you will say when anxiety rises this week. When will you practice it (e.g., morning, before driving, at bedtime)? [41:59]

Sermon Clips

``But more Advent is about preparing for Jesus to return. And we put that together with preparing for His first coming. So Advent is about looking to the future. And that can be a problem, right? Because that's that fear piece. What's the future going to be like? How's it going to happen? When is Jesus going to come back? Are my loved ones going to know who He is before He comes back? There's so much there. [00:40:32] (29 seconds) #AdventPrepare

We're not going to have to worry about the evils of this world. Light is going to dawn in the darkness for the upright, and God makes us upright. He is gracious and merciful and righteous. All of these beautiful things that God's going to do for us. And verse 7 really brings it home. We don't have to be afraid of bad news. We don't have to be afraid of bad news, because our God triumphs. It sounds good, right? [00:41:38] (29 seconds) #GodTriumphs

The gift that David is giving us is telling us that the way forward is to look backward. The way forward is to look backward. I mean, what God has done in the past, in verse 9 of 111, he tells us, he sent redemption for his people, he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. What he's doing there is he's hearkening them back to a God who delivered them out of slavery, who delivered them out of Egypt, who parted the Red Sea and walked them through. [00:42:36] (30 seconds) #LookBackForward

That's what he's done. He's made his covenant with them, and therefore, he's going to take care of them in the future, because that's his promise. So we are called to do the same things. When we feel the anxiety of this world, when we get worried about all the things that could happen, I believe God is telling us in the season of Advent is to prepare yourself for his return by looking back at what he's done for us. [00:43:06] (24 seconds) #PrepareByRemembering

Well, it's the same thing that all of those things that we look in the Old Testament point us to. Of course, it's Jesus, right? So we are preparing for Jesus' return by preparing to celebrate that he's already come. We are preparing for the future and Jesus coming down in glory to judge and make all things new by looking back to the past to know that he's already come. We're going to celebrate Christmas. It's coming soon. [00:43:54] (35 seconds) #CelebrateHisComing

Even knowing everything that you've done and said and every mistake you've made and he sends his son for you. Jesus loves you so much and loves his Father so much that he, the King of all creation, the one who was there from the beginning and even before the beginning, chooses to be made a man for us, chooses to be born of a woman, chooses to be made a baby, the most helpless living being on the planet, a human baby, to be fed by a teenage mom, to be birthed by a teenage mom. [00:45:06] (40 seconds) #HumbleKing

To be changed by a guy who's got calloused hands and is a builder and isn't quite married to the woman yet. This is what our Savior has done. He became man for us. Emmanuel, God with us. We can look to this past because it's going to bring us hope in the future because Jesus, he always holds true to his promises and he has promised that because he has come in the past for us and lived for us and suffered and died on the cross for us and risen from the grave that we don't need to look at the future with fear. [00:45:46] (42 seconds) #EmmanuelWithUs

That doesn't mean we don't prepare for the future. It's good to prepare but not out of a place of fear because the past says we are saved. The past says Jesus is victorious today and Jesus said in the past he's coming back soon. And so this season of Advent as we look to the future let's spend some time looking at the past. Look at what he's done for you. You're a baptized child of God. You are saved by grace. You are loved and you are redeemed. [00:46:27] (44 seconds) #PrepareWithoutFear

And nothing can take that away from you. So yeah you might get the wrong gift or give the wrong gift and you might have to deal with some bad weather and the finances may not match up the way you want them to in this season but none of that changes. God's love for you. He's on this journey with us. He's with us in the here and now. We know that because we can look to the past and we can see every step of the way he's been with his people and we can see that that means his promises in the future are sure and secure. [00:47:12] (38 seconds) #GodsLoveUnchanged

I have a hard and fast rule that we're not going to set up before Christmas and every year that rule gets broken but God God has a hard and fast rule his is he loves you his is that when he makes a covenant he keeps it and he's made a covenant with you and he will keep it Emmanuel is proof of that Jesus has come he has overcome and he is coming back soon praise the Lord Amen [00:47:51] (44 seconds) #CovenantKept

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