Surprise!
You are not the only one preparing.
While you have (hopefully) been preparing the way for the Lord, the Lord has been preparing a way for you.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
So go, do the good works God specially prepared just for you.
My prayers have power to change the world.
If I truly believe that (and I should), it will change my prayers.
Prepare to pray. Prepare for change.
The best-known account of Christ’s birth (Luke 2) starts with the words, “And it came to pass.”
Paul used similar words:
Galatians 4:4 (NKJV)
But when the fullness of the time had come,
God sent forth His Son.
God the Father had been preparing for this moment from before time. The whole creation was preparation. Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses were preparation. The shepherd king, David, was preparation. The Exodus and the exile were preparation.
Not too early, not too late, but at exactly the right time—
John 3:16
For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son.
How are you preparing for Christmas?
The second Advent candle is said by some to represent love; others say it is the preparation candle.
Preparation seems a fitting description–16 days till Christmas.
Hmmm, I wonder how long it took our heavenly Father to prepare for the first Christmas?
See some folks looking a bit glum or stressed out? Pray some hope into their Advent season:
Oh Lord God, what a grump! Grant him a glimpse of your plans for for him, your plans to give him a hope and a future. May he rest assured this Christmas season that you seek his eternal good, the long view for his everlasting well-being. Amen.
We serve a God of hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
1 Peter 1:3
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Titus 3:7
. . . having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Live in hope – for the next 22 days and forever.
The first Advent candle represents hope.
As R. C. Sproul noted:
“But hope is not simply a ‘wish’ (I wish that such-and-such would take place); rather, it is that which latches on to the certainty of the promises of the future that God has made.”
For the next 23 days, latch on to the certainty of God’s promises.
What do you hope for?
We lit the first Advent candle. It represents hope. A bigger and better hope than the list above.
Don’t be befuddled by the glitz and glitter, the lure of the ads and the rush of the season. The next 24 days are all about hope.
