In honor of the Advent season which is upon us, here is part 2 of a 2-part article originally shared in DEC’s “The Times” newsletter. Part 1 of this article can be found here. Enjoy and comment!

Emmanuel

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

“God with us.”

The name itself implies that we have to have room in order for Jesus to be there. No room, no Jesus. He is with us. Maybe the question this Christmas is, “Are we with God?”

Will busyness and overcommitment crowd Jesus out this Advent season, or will we cultivate hearts that say, “O come, Emmanuel! Ransom us! Rescue us!”  Will our hearts cry out with the author of the Revelation, who wrote:

He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20 (ESV)

In some ways, today is no different than the night Jesus was born: busy streets, people struggling to meet their responsibilities and crowds competing for high-demand items. Yet amid the noise and clamor of that night, God himself stepped into time. And above it all, a star pointed willing eyes toward this Miracle Child.
…And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. Matthew 2:9 (ESV)

Amid all of our noise and clamor, there’s a light today to point willing eyes to the Messiah. Actually, it’s a city on a hill. And while store fliers and party invitations are clamoring for our attention, God whispers, “Let your light so shine…”

So let’s not miss it this year. Let’s make room, be available. Be attentive. Let the flames of our longing hearts light the way for others. And our hearts, lips and lives declare, “O come, Emmanuel!”

Prayer

God, our hearts and lives are gifts from your hand. We pray that you’d fill them with genuine faith - a faith that would make us receptive - eager! - for you this Christmas. Rescue us from busyness and forgive us for allowing other occupants take your place. By your grace, we are your temple. We have room for you. We have a throne for you!  For your praise of your great name, King Jesus. Amen.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under christian living, christmas, worship.