Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will
perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to
the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of
righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and
righteousness in the land. (Jeremiah 33:14-15, KJV)
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the
Desert of Judea and saying,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through
the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for
the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Matthew 3:1-3, NIV)
Lord Christ,
It seems to me that the Christmas season began even
earlier this year - around Halloween!
We like to blame greedy retailers and the modern day
plague of consumerism. I’m not so sure about that. Maybe we welcome the
distraction from a true Advent.
The ancient prophets consistently
called across the generations for repentance, justice and righteousness as they proclaimed the Messiah. We are called during Advent to prepare our hearts for the
coming of Jesus, to make straight our path.
Am I willing to catalog my regrettable thoughts and
actions, or lack of action for the cause of Christ?
What about justice? Where our society, government and business miss
the mark, will I do anything about it?
Will I make time to consider what it means to live
righteously, to model Kingdom values, to trust the Lord in all things, in the
coming year?
…or will I charge off to the mall or another Holiday
party. Will I confine my preparation to mixing drinks and wrapping gifts?
Holy Spirit, prepare my heart during advent for the
coming of Christ, my savior, my Messiah. Amen.
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