Advent - Pt 2

Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:9-11 ESV). As I wrote yesterday, Advent is a season of waiting, expecting, and hoping. It helps us prepare for the coming, or “advent” of the Christ child at Christmas. For hundreds of years, Christians have used an Advent wreath to inspire their hopes for the coming of Christ. By lighting candles and reading Scripture, we are reminded about the meaning of Christ’s birth and become more excited about his coming in the past, in the future, and in our own lives. I hope these devotionals will help you visualize the lighting of the candles each day you read them and be encouraged in your walk. There is no set meaning for the candles of the Advent wreath, except for the middle candle, which always signifies the birth of Jesus the Christ and is often called the Christ Candle. I have been in churches where the candles point to peace, hope, joy, and love. In other settings they are identified with key figures in the stories of the birth of Jesus, such as the shepherds, the angels, Joseph, and Mary. I have used the main theme of waiting to give structure and meaning to the Advent candles, with each candle focused on different aspects of our memorial. We should prepare by remembering: Israel’s hope for the coming of God’s Messiah to save, to forgive, and to restore; our hope for the second coming of Jesus; and, our need for a Savior to save us from our sins. So, let’s light the first candle. Lighting this candle we focus on the coming of Christ as our Shepherd. Like God’s people before the coming of Christ, we also look ahead to the time when Christ, who is both the Lamb and our Shepherd, will finish his work and “God will wipe away every tear” from our eyes. The wonder of this is the truth that we can count on God to keep his promises. He promised a Savior, and He sent one. Let me give you some other promises we can count on:  God's presence: "I will never leave you." (Hebrews 13:5)  God's protection: "I am your shield" (Genesis 15:1)  God's power: "I will strengthen you." (Isaiah 41:10)  God's rest: "Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)  God's forgiveness: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)  God's wise plan and provision: "All things work together for good to them that love God." (Romans 8:28) There are hundreds more. This Christmas think of the enormity of the gift of Christ. Becoming the child of God means He withholds nothing good from us.