For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. [1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 (NLT)]
For Christians, the four weeks before Christmas are the season of Advent: a season as much about preparing for Christ’s second coming as it is about preparing to celebrate His first. Having recently purchased a baby gift, I couldn’t help but see similarities between the way expectant parents prepare for the advent (coming) of their new baby and we prepare for the advent (coming) of Christ.
Wanting to give her baby the best possible start, the mother-to-be is cautious about what goes into her body. She adds pre-natal vitamins, stops drinking alcohol, gives up junk food, and shuns risky foods like sushi, alfalfa sprouts, and brie. In the same way, as we prepare for Christ’s coming, we should take these weeks to improve what we put into our minds—the things we listen to, read, watch, and stream. Are they as worthless as junk food’s empty calories or as unsafe as smoking or drinking unpasteurized cider are for the expectant mother and baby she carries?
In preparation for their baby’s arrival, the expectant mom and dad eagerly read all about child care and attend birthing, parenting, and infant CPR classes. We should be as intent on learning about Jesus as new parents are about babies. Advent is a good time to start!
Knowing that life will be different once their baby comes, the soon-to-be parents give serious thought to their priorities and the sacrifices to be made. Midnight feedings will replace date nights, designer handbags are swapped for a diaper bag, and a full night’s sleep will become a thing of the past. Carpets will be cleaned, the office or extra bedroom becomes the nursery, while cabinets, corners, and sockets are baby-proofed.
The four weeks of Advent are the time for Christ’s followers to prepare room in our hearts for Him. As we prepare for the coming of the Christ child, like expectant parents, we might reflect on any changes or sacrifices that we should make so Christ can make His home with us. Rather than baby-proofing, do we need to do a little sin-proofing? As we clean house in preparation for the holidays, we might want to clean our hearts of things like greed, pride, or resentment so there’s room for the King.
Once they know a baby is coming, I doubt that a day passes without the parents-to-be thinking about its arrival. Advent should be a season when Christ is first and foremost in our minds, as well. Just as a woman in her 40th week of pregnancy yearns for her baby’s arrival, we yearn for Jesus to arrive and straighten out the mess we’ve made of His world.
The expectant parents have a good idea of when their baby will come and, while we know when Christmas will arrive, only God knows the date of Christ’s second coming. Nevertheless, Jesus told us that, like labor pains, there would be signs—things like wars, famines, earthquakes, persecution, conflict, economic turmoil, and deception. Considering today’s news, it’s not surprising that 39% of Americans (and 47% of American Christians) think we are in the end times right now. Then again, chaos and trouble are not unique to the 21st century. The early church thought Jesus would return and usher in God’s Kingdom in their lifetimes and I suspect Christians throughout the centuries have thought they were living in the end times. We don’t know if we’re living in the last days but, like those soon-to-be-parents, we know for sure that He will arrive whether we’re ready or not!
The immense step from the Babe at Bethlehem to the living, reigning triumphant Lord Jesus, returning to earth for His own people – that is the glorious truth proclaimed throughout Scripture. As the bells ring out the joys of Christmas, may we also be alert for the final trumpet that will announce His return, when we shall always be with Him. [Alan Redpath]
When I was a girl (back in the days of pen, paper, and postage stamps), my mother insisted that I write a “thank you” note for any gifts I received. Whether my birthday or Christmas, I was not allowed to enjoy any gifts until the necessary notes had been written. Moreover, each note had to be personal. I couldn’t just write a quick generic, “Thank you for the nice present.” I had to say something specific about the gift and, if it was money, I had to say how I planned on using it. Even if the present was something I really didn’t like or want (and we’ve all had those kinds of gifts), I had to express gratitude. My mother reminded me that, while I might not value the gift, someone else’s time, thought, love, and money had gone into getting it for me. Therefore, I should take the time to properly acknowledge and show my appreciation for the giver’s generosity. Her “thank you” note rule also applied whenever someone did something special for me. If a family took me to an event or I’d spent the night at a friend’s house, a note of thanks had to be written.
In Letters to Malcom, C. S. Lewis wrote, “We, or at least I, shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest. … Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are ‘patches of Godlight’ in the woods of our experience.”
Hebrews 11 lists the great examples of faith found in the Hebrew Scriptures. Every story, however, has a supporting cast and, while we may not remember or even know their names, they played an important role in everyone’s story. We know Moses is one of those heroes of faith but what of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah? If they hadn’t defied Pharaoh’s orders to kill newborn Hebrew boys, Moses wouldn’t have lived long enough to be found by Pharaoh’s daughter let alone lead Israel to the Promised Land!
Several years ago, I purchased a beautifully drawn coloring book featuring scenes from the Colorado mountain town that had been part of our lives for thirty-five years. Since it was a gift for one of my grands, I asked the artist to sign the book. She added these words to her signature: “Don’t be afraid to color outside the lines!” Was the artist’s advice limited to her book or was it about something more?
Because most of the disciples hailed from Galilee where fishing was fundamental to the area’s economy, Jesus’ parable comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to a fishing net gave them a beautiful visual image of the Kingdom when the final judgment occurs. Since we’re not Galilean fishermen, however, our picture of a fishing net might be like the hand-held ones used for trout or bass fishing. Jesus, however, used the word sagéné, meaning dragnet; its English equivalent is seine.
Devotions of the Heart 