Thanksgiving is over. Today marks the beginning of Advent. Those
of you who have read my entries over the past few years, know that this season
is hard for me; I don’t enjoy Christmas. I am purposed to enjoy Christmas this
year, but not for the commercialism and hype of the season, but to know Christ
deeper. As I anticipate Christmas day, and celebrate the advent of Jesus Christ,
I will seek Him every day and hope to experience Him in a new and fresh
way. I desire to be thankful, not just at thanksgiving, but the whole year
through. I need to cultivate a thankful heart; to create a theology of
Thanksgiving. Thankfulness does not just appear in our hearts, we must cultivate
it, practice it. Though I was raised in liturgical churches, I have never
celebrated Advent. I have a couple of wreaths I set out for decoration, but don’t
practice the liturgy. This year I want to write my own. This is the purpose
behind this Advent journal; to cultivate my own worship, and I pray that it
inspires you to do the same.
Thankfulness does not always come easy in the face of hurt,
loss, and disappointment. The pain screams to drown out any hope of joy, yet we
have the Light of the world and a journey to a manger, to break any threat of
darkness. God is so faithful; if you can think of nothing to be thankful for remember
that Jesus was beaten and bruised to redeem us because His love for us was too
great. He could not even fathom spending an eternity apart from you; He could
more easily fathom the Cross. If He does nothing else for me—I am forever awed
at this act of love. Thanksgiving may be over, but our thanksgiving to Him
should not rest. Advent is the arrival of the Light of World to give us light
on our path and to break through the darkness in our lives. Seek for the Holy
Child every day until He comes. Cultivate thanksgiving, find joy, feel His
peace, and keep your eyes on Jesus—For He is why we celebrate.
When we truly prepare for the coming of Christ, He fills us
with Hope; the Hope that He came once and the Hope
that He will come again. Prepare for His coming and be ready. The Messiah was
the Hope of Israel; and He silently crept into our chronos in the quiet
of the night—in the humble surroundings of a stable to humble Jewish parents. His
only coronation audience—cows, sheep, donkeys, a few frightened shepherds, and
a glorious choir of God’s angelic host. He left the presence of the Father to
dwell among us—Immanuel. The first Advent has come, fulfilling all that
the Old Covenant promised.
Today begins the Advent season celebrating that fulfilled
promise, with the lighting of the first candle—the ‘hope’ or ‘prophecy’ candle.
It also represents our hope that He will come again. We hope in His coming, the
promise that dripped like honey off the lips of our Savior, His prophetic
promise that He will return. He came once; He shall come again.
So let’s enter into this season of Advent with thanksgiving;
entering into the courts of the Most High with joy that He
promised to redeem us from the moment Adam
and Eve fell into sin, and He kept that promise—for He
is faithful that promised.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises
to Your name, O Most High; To declare your lovingkindness in the morning and
Your faithfulness by night. Psalm 92:1-2
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with
gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself
is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His
people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His
courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is
good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all
generations. Psalm 100
To read the entire Advent Journal click here:
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