Advent Devotions – Day 18

Getting Ready For Christ
By Sean Garner

“The shepherds said to one another,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.”
-Luke 2:15

As the day gets closer, the only problem with getting yourself ready for Christmas is….well…getting ready for Christmas. Whose house are we going to this year? Where do I find that thing that my grandchild put on her wish list? What time are our parents showing up for Christmas dinner again?

Our heart cries out “Where can I find Jesus?” but our spouse cries out “Why is that light out on the Christmas tree?” Our head asks “Where is God in all this?” and our kids or grandkids ask “Can you buy me this?” Our mind sometimes wonders “Why has my Christmas lost hope?” while our checkbook asks “Why has my bank account lost that many zeros?”

So, we commit ourselves to read the story of Christmas in scripture and then we see it everywhere. The wise men had to search over a continent for a newborn king. The shepherd had to search the town of Bethlehem for the angel’s assignment. Joseph had to search his heart to see if he could accept Mary while Mary had to search her heart to see if she could accept God’s will. Everybody was searching. Every single person.

So maybe the tree, the lights, the meals, the gifts are road signs that point toward the real reason for the season. As they are flying past us (as speeds that can be dizzying at times) we forget we’re on the same search as the rest and the glory that awaits when we’re in the presence of the newborn King. As the days before Christmas tower over us, as the countdown moves quickly toward the 25th of December, we begin to realize there is a big difference between getting ready for Christmas and getting ready for Christ.

Today’s Readings – Psalm 119:49-72, 49, 53, Zech 3:1-10, Rev 4:1-8, Matt 24:45-51