The older I get, the more I look forward to Advent. As a child, I never understood Advent was our season of preparation for the birth of our Lord and Savior. But today, we say, “Come, Lord Jesus, Come,” as a beckoning of all that awaits us.
I typically lavish in the thankfulness of Thanksgiving. But this year, I found myself rushing to Advent. The words, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, Come,” swirl in my head, as I eagerly decorate the tree.
Jesus is coming! We best get ready.
In spite of my urge to rush into Advent, I sense a slowing once I arrive. I want to relish the moments leading up to Christmas. How can I slow down and prepare for Advent? What intentional acts I can do that lead me closer to the manger? These are the questions I am asking myself this year.
“Come, Lord Jesus, Come”
As I begin to spend more time in the scriptures, I want to be mindful of the verses. I do not want to read them, I want to live them.
I am lead to Isaiah 11:1-16 which reads;
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord….”
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
“A little child will lead them.”
That child is Jesus and Advent is our time to prepare for His coming.
This prophesy Isaiah writes about seems like heaven. But for us, heaven comes down in the form of a baby. “A little child will lead them,” and we can choose to follow Him, embracing Him. As we invite Him into our lives, we let Jesus be born in us. This is our advent, our time of preparation, our remembering.
“Come, Lord Jesus, Come.”
The point of Advent is to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of baby Jesus. But in that, we must prepare for Christ to be born in us. We need to think beyond the baby in the manger and embrace the Christ of our lives.
This year, I have created a Bucket List for Christmas. These are all the things I want to do that bring me closer to Jesus.
I want to visit a live nativity, sing Christmas carols often and loud, read the Christmas story with my family, and attend a Christmas Eve Service. These are just a few. I would encourage you to make your own list.
It is easy to jam pack our holiday season with too much of nothing. But this year, I want to do the things that matter, the things that bring me closer to Christ.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:13 to continue on “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
As we hold, cuddle and coo at the baby Jesus, let us recognize we are but mere babes ourselves. When we move past the manger, we see Jesus grow into our Immanuel. God with us. But more than that, God growing in us.
Let us pray;
Come Lord Jesus Come. Birth yourself with in us. Amen.
P.S. Don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know how you plan to grow closer to Jesus this Christmas. Forward this message to a friend and ask them to subscribe to my website. Share on Facebook and tag me in it. Until next time, do what matters. -M
