Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, December 3, Evening
By David Lineberger
Waiting for Jesus
Read Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.”
No one would argue that the times we currently live in are somewhat frustrating! All of us want our lives to return to “normal,” and each of us has a pretty good idea of what we would like normal to be. Living in the 21st century, we are pretty much used to getting what we want quickly: Amazon deliveries the next day, or the same day in some cases, text messages answered in seconds from just about anywhere in the world, fast food whenever we want it, and the list could go on and on.
In the Advent season, we experience something quite the opposite: waiting. There are still many things we sometimes have to wait for; the birth of a child, our birthday celebration, an expected raise, or a reassuring call from a loved one. In Advent, we are waiting for the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus. The coming of the Savior was foretold many times in the Old Testament, and God’s people waited patiently for many years for that wonderful event to happen. Many people were still waiting when their lives ended, but God blessed their faith.
Faith involves waiting while trusting in God’s promises. What are you waiting for God to do? Do you trust that God will fulfill His promises in the best way possible for you, and at the best possible time? This season we celebrate the fulfillment of God’s greatest promise to send to all people everywhere, the gift of His Son Jesus, who brings to all believers the gift of eternal life with Him in heaven. That’s something worth waiting for!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we confess that sometimes we get impatient waiting for things we want. Help us appreciate all the blessings you continue to give us. Give us joy in waiting to celebrate the coming birth of Jesus, our infant Savior. Amen.
