13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.—The words of King David from Psalm 27:13-14
The season of Advent brings with it a contrast of emotions and activities. Some feel enormous joy as they anticipate the colored lights, decorated homes—inside and out—the fun of shopping and picking out just the right gift for the special people in their lives, and a general sense of well-being. Others feel a deep sadness as they remember their friends and family who have passed on from this life to the next. The time of Advent has a bittersweet quality. It represents a contrast of emotions.
Advent also represents a contrast of activities. On the one hand it represents one of the busiest times of the year. The crowded stores. The jammed highways. The higher noise level in restaurants. The pushing and shoving as people line up to get the best bargains.
In contrast, Advent also represents a time for true Christian believers of waiting for the coming of Jesus. It’s a double waiting: waiting for the celebration of Christ’s birth and waiting for the second coming of our Great King Jesus. This waiting stands in stark contrast with the heightened activity of the season that we see in other quarters.
The Scripture passage at the beginning of this blog post urges us to “wait for the Lord.” Implicit with that urging is the reality that the Lord Jesus Christ is worth waiting for. His first coming to earth granted us a full pardon for our sins, as He took our sins on Himself and died on the cruel cross of Calvary. His second coming brings to an end all the bitterness of this sin-cursed life we now live and ushers in the fulfillment of Christ’s Kingdom. The second coming completes the cycle that began with Christ’s departure when He ascended into heaven following His resurrection from the grave. It signals the beginning of an eternity with Him—never-ending fellowship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
And still, we must wait. Though I have written about this before, it is appropriate at this season of Advent to speak of Felix Mendelssohn, who composed a magnificent work, “Elijah.” That work contains an equisite soprano/mezzo-soprano duet that expresses what it means to wait on the Lord. I invite you to listen very carefully to the words of this piece all the way through to the end. Please click here to watch this video.
I urge you to join me in finding some time of quiet reflection during the hustle and bustle of this Advent season. Set aside time in a quiet place to consider the true joy of this season—joy that overcomes even the deepest sorrow—joy that comes from the anticipated fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in our midst. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Will you please pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
We celebrate the birth of Your Son. What a miracle! We simply cannot comprehend the depth of Your love for us that You would send Your only Son as the One to pay the penalty for our sin.
We also wait in humble anticipation, Dear Father, for the return of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to earth. We long for Him to come quickly and receive us into the fullness of Your Kingdom.
Please help us during the season of Advent to fix our minds and hearts on the eager anticipation we feel for both of these most holy events. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, prepare our minds and hearts to receive Your joy, as we await the Day of Celebration.
Thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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