When
I was little, the last week before Christmas was an exciting time. Lights were
up on houses, music was in the air, and there was a general feeling of
goodwill. I was joyfully and expectantly waiting for Christmas to come.
Fast
forward to the adult me who hates to wait for anything. I still enjoy all the
preparations, activities, and get-togethers that are part of the season and I
try to get myself spiritually ready for Christmas, but I no longer have that
sense of wonder and joyful expectation that I had as a child.
We’re
reminded at this time of year to wait well. We are waiting for that day when we
will see Jesus face-to-face, when all our sorrows and infirmities will be gone
and we will be completely renewed for all eternity. That glorious hope should
make us feel like a kid waiting for Christmas and not someone getting ready to
have a tooth pulled (apologies to my dental friends). Paul writes, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we
eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the
power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform
our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians
3:20-21).
Our
expectant faith should extend to our everyday lives. We believe that God
answers prayers and provides for us out of His love. We may need to wait for
the fulfillment of His promises to us but we should never lose hope. The
psalmist encourages us, “We wait in hope for
the Lord;
he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his
holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in
you” (Psalm 33:20-22).
No
matter what the past year has brought us, we can rejoice today that Jesus, the
Immanuel “God With Us” of whom the prophets spoke, has been, is, and will
always be with us.
Let
us wait in joyful expectation for our deliverance, with childlike faith.
Merry
Christmas!
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The individual posts in this blog have
been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog. It
is available for free as an E-book through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available
for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through
them.
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