Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, December 1
By Judy Grubb
We Will Be Found
Read Isaiah 11:2-4
“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. He will not judge people by what he can see on the outside, but he will judge people with righteousness, knowing what is in their hearts.”
I remember the Christmas when our daughter was three years old. Because our extended family lived in Indiana, we had always gone home for the Christmas holidays to visit our relatives. We were loading up the car with our luggage and gifts preparing for the 6 hour trek. Just before we were ready to leave, Jennie said, “Mommy, will Santa Claus know where I am so he can bring my gifts?” My heart just dropped, and I could have cried. Of course I assured her that she didn’t need to worry, and that Santa would know where to bring her gifts. In her mind she was probably thinking, “I went to see him and told him what I wanted for Christmas, but now we’re leaving.” From that year on, we stayed at our home for Christmas.
Four weeks before Christmas, we Christians begin to prepare for the arrival of Jesus. We plan and prepare and worship and sing and rejoice each year. The prophets told us about a Savior and teacher that would come. Isaiah said that He would “preach good tidings unto the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captives.” The beautiful scriptures in the New Testament tell the story from the Immaculate Conception to the lowly birthplace where Jesus was visited by the shepherds and the Wise Men.
Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about Jesus finding us. If we have studied and followed his parables and teachings, he will know where to find us. What will we be doing when he finds us? Will he see us sharing his gifts with his people? Will we be busy helping to right food inequity, correcting racial inequality, ministering to the homeless, protecting defenseless women and children, and welcoming the immigrant? He will always be looking for us, and finding us. What a comfort to know that Jesus will always come, and that we will always be able to celebrate his birth.
Prayer
Dear God, We thank you for the opportunity to share the teachings of your son, Jesus Christ. We pray that we will please you with our efforts to share your ministry with your people. Amen.
