Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

‘ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Hold on to what is good..

‘When Robert Louis Stevenson was a young child, he was sick much of the time. He couldn’t go out and play like the other children so he spent a lot of time watching at the window. One evening he sat and watched as a man came down the street lighting the gas lamps. His nurse said to him, “What are you doing?” “I’m watching the man knock holes in the darkness,” he replied.’

For us, as Christians, we believe that Jesus was and is, the One, who knocked holes in the darkness. He is the Light of the World who stepped down into darkness, to bring His light and love.

In one of our Eucharistic prayers (D) it says this:

To the darkness Jesus came as your light.

With signs of faith and words of hope

he touched the untouchables with love and washed the guilty clean.

What amazing words. This was Jesus, He came with signs of faith so that we might believe; He gave–and He still gives—words of hope so that we may be encouraged and inspired; He touched people with love so that we might share that love with others; He freed us from our sin so that we might free others with love. He came to be our light, to shine on us and through us and to enable us to be people of light.

So as we continue our journey through Advent let our spirit not be quenched, but rather let it be thirsty – for the Light of the World, the One promised by the prophets. Let our hearts rejoice as we remember again His coming into the world and let us pray continually that lives may be touched and changed by the One born to be King.

The Revd Paul Robinson, Vicar, St Ambrose, Leyland.