Advent – Part 3

Imagine Mary & Joseph’s anticipation -9 months of waiting, waiting to witness the appearance of the Promised One! Did they hear right? Is this all a dream? Did an angel really appear –to Mary with the announcement, and to Joseph in a dream to tell him Mary’s story was true? Waiting before the watching eyes of all their friends, family & community? For 9 months for the birth. For 30 years for His ministry. For 3 years to see its fruit. For 3 days to see –would He really rise again? Lots of waiting!

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt you heard something from the Lord and then had to wait –to see if you’d heard right & it was really going to come to pass? How well do you do at waiting? When I think of waiting I have a picture of sitting quietly with hands folded and trying to patiently wait for someone else to do something or for some event or action to happen. But that’s not the biblical picture of waiting at all! The word in the bible that we translate as “wait” is a picture of turning and twisting as in dancing, or of a pregnant mother in the convulsions of childbirth! Very different picture! The true biblical picture of waiting involves a lot of activity, and sometimes discomfort, in order to come to a desired outcome.

I remember an old department store commercial that had a lady standing at their store window staring in with her nose pressed against the glass & both hands tapping on the window saying, “Waiting. Waiting. Waiting”. She wasn’t doing nothing. She knew what she wanted. She knew where it was. She had a plan and was actively pursuing it. So the next time you start to feel discouraged because the things you thought would happen hasn’t happened yet, know this! That picture is a picture of the Father –waiting for all that’s needed to be aligned in your life so that He can bring the blessing to you that He longs to! He has not forgotten one word that He has declared over your life –not one promise! He is waiting for the time when He can add His blessing to your life when there will be no sorrow with it (Prov. 10:22). As we wait for the coming Celebration of Christmas I pray that the Revelation of Christ become ever more real to you!

Here are a couple Christmas songs to help you celebrate

Mary Did You Know

Joseph’s Lullaby