As when a forest catches fire,
as when fire makes a pot to boil—
To shock your enemies into facing you,
make the nations shake in their boots!
You did terrible things we never expected,
descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence.”
Isaiah 64:1-2
Advent is upon us again and again for most it has come upon us as the Lord predicted...like a thief in the night, catching us off-guard. Much like my daughters sticker Advent calendar we are found looking in different directions, facing different ways and listening to different music instead of the triumphant shout the angels proclaim.
Isaiah was not looking away. He was surrounded by enemies of God. The sounds of war were commonplace. The marks of shackles from slavery still fresh in the mind. Locusts ate what they wanted, water was scarce.
Scriptures warned us that longer for the Lord’s first appearance we would enter into a spiritual slumber not unlike the scene my daughter made. It echoes our preparedness for the Kings return.
We have been reading about the ten virgins and their lamps, the servants and their talents and now our church calendar is asking us are we ready for the arrival of the King?
Are you awaiting him and his return with the passion of Isaiah, or are you content with life the way it is? Yes, we can be in a time of great blessings, and many of us are, but are we longing for the far off country Abraham yearned for?
Let’s prepare for Advent. Let’s prepare our hearts for the coming Christ Child, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord. Let’s give ourselves to this season of preparation with honesty.
We’ll cover a different theme each week. Enter into them. Make them your own.
Hope. Peace. Joy. Love.
Isaiah knew Hope even in the midst of anguish. His Hope was a person. His Hope was the prophesied Messiah.
Blessings Beloved,
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