Dan Miller
Jeremiah 23:5-6 NLT
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.
Reflection
I hate going first. I’ve had this self-imposed pressure to properly set the tone for what is to come in our Advent devotional series. And to tell you the truth, I just wasn’t feeling it. The deadline came and went… still nothing.
It strikes me that I’m not alone in this. It seems the culture thrusts the holidays on us earlier and earlier every year. As I write this it’s only a few days past Halloween and the stores are full of Christmas décor, holiday ads are running on TV, and the Hallmark channel is running Christmas movies 24/7. And still, I’m not feeling it. I mean, for crying out loud… it’s in the 80s outside!
Are you feeling the pressure to embrace the holidays before you are ready?
The Old Testament Prophets Isaiah and Micah said repeatedly: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” John the Baptist’s entire life was to proclaim: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” And Jeremiah’s prophecies were all about hope. Hope in the reuniting of God’s people and in a coming Messiah who would heal their spiritual wounds. The word Advent itself is from the Latin word advenio which means coming to. Advent is the time when we focus on Christ coming to the world. There is something very intentional about these words, isn’t there?
The four weeks of Advent are Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace, with the final Jesus candle being lit on Christmas Eve. And the practice of Advent challenges me to be very intentional about this season, and not wait for some artificial feeling of warm fuzziness to leap off the store shelves and overwhelm me. It compels me to be proactive about it, to meditate on it, and to act on its promise.
So in the spirit of that intentionality, I’m asking questions of myself. If the kingdom of God brings hope to places where hope doesn’t grow naturally, what is my role in spreading that hope into the sacred intersections God puts in my life every day?
If we who claim His name carry the Hope, and Love, and Joy, and Peace of Christ in us, how do we partner with Him to bring hope into the hopeless places in our relationships and communities?
What are you hoping for this Christmas? Where do you feel hopeless? In the coming weeks of this Advent season, you will have the opportunity to read and be challenged by the insights of many from our Conejo family. I hope you will intentionally embrace the season with me. It just might be the best gift of all.
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31).
“Hope does not disappoint us” (Romans 5:5)
Prayer
Father in Heaven, as we enter this Christmas season, help me to be an agent of Hope where there is hopelessness; a minister of Love where there is enmity; a promoter of Joy where there is sorrow; an ambassador of Peace where there is discord. And I thank you for your son Jesus who makes all this possible.
Yep