A season of preparation
Celebrating the Christmas season…. we have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the weeks leading up to Christmas. Christmas arrives in stores earlier every year. Christmas movies start airing in October. This leaves us simultaneously excited and reluctant to begin the Christmas season. The odd thing about the increasing length of the Christmas season in the retail marketplace is that it doesn’t give us more Christmas. It gives us less. It can be difficult to pause and celebrate the whole season because of the preparation for the one day. The season gets longer, but we often fail to experience any joy. We are left waiting for the day and often fail to experience the season.
As we observe Advent, I want to encourage you to use this opportunity to prepare your heart for the incarnation. We tend to think about the baby in the manger, but we also need to contemplate the One present from the beginning through whom all things were made.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1–5(ESV)
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
John 1:9–18 (ESV)
Consider, instead of pursuing a season of presents, to pursue a season of presence…..God’s presence. To pursue the presence of God leads us to prayer; i.e. talking to Him and listening to Him. We are going to embrace The Lord’s Prayer as an entrance into His presence this Christmas season.
What follows are 9 devotionals built on The Lord’s Prayer. Often, we approach Bible Study and teaching from the viewpoint of information rather than formation. In order to be formed into God’s image we must begin to do more than learn about Him. We must listen to Him, follow Him, and do the things He instructs. These sessions are set up for you to read and pray. The praying is the doing. A prayer is included at the end of each segment, but try to use this as a seed to further prayer. Each day is an opportunity to listen to God and to respond. It is the practice of His presence.
As we walk through the season, waiting to celebrate the day of His arrival here on earth, remember that we are merely commemorating this event. He is already here and dwells in our hearts. Celebrate His presence as you wait on the day we remember that God came and dwelt in bodily form with mankind.