O Lord of hosts, restore us.
Let your face shine upon us,
That we may be saved.
(Ps 80:4)
It's the first week of Advent again. As impatient as I am, this is one of my favorite times of the Church year.
How often we overlook this time in preparation for Christmas! And yet, this time is vital as we prepare for the coming of Jesus...
If Jesus came today, what would He find us doing?
Would He find faith on earth?
Do we call upon His Name, rouse ourselves from the state we're in and cling to Him?
Are we busy with many things that distract us from turning to Him, from seeking His face, from imploring Him to hear our cries from His throne upon the cherubim so that we may be saved?
He is waiting for us to turn, to cry out to Him, to confess that we have sinned and are in desperate need of our Savior.
And this is our reason for Hope this Advent: He did indeed hear us from His "throne upon the cherubim" and reveal Himself, and come to save us. (Ps 80:2,3)
Advent is a gift to us! We need this time of preparation to pray, to be watchful and alert; to turn back to God; to do right, to be mindful of God in all our ways (Is 64:4); to rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us; and ask God for the help we need, so that we may not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb 12:1, 3)
May we use these days of Advent to prepare a dwelling place for Christ in our hearts.
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