Every year when the month of December comes around we might not have all of our Christmas shopping finished, but one thing is sure, Advent is here! Each year, just like clockwork, the Church prepares us not only to look back and celebrate our Lord's birth in Bethlehem, but also to look forward to our Lord's return for us on Judgment Day. This Advent season is a gift each year that helps us to stop, look, and listen to the wonderful promises of our faithful God: He sent His Son as a baby born in a manger in Bethlehem, He sent this Savior to live, die, and rise in order to restore a broken creation to Himself, and He called us into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, through Baptism.
God keeps all His promises through Jesus Christ. His faithfulness touches us in this present moment in our lives. Right now we are God's people, even though we live in a broken world and await His return. We await Him in joy because He is faithful, despite the fact we are often unfaithful. Advent allows us to seriously look at our unfaithfulness and to cling to God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ. As God's people right now, we are continuously in awe of the ways our Lord makes His presence known in our daily lives. Our Lord is alive and with us on earth through the Holy Spirit, and He daily makes a difference in our lives in the midst of joy and struggle. God is faithful, and this is what we celebrate as we travel this familiar road to Christmas each year. Christ is come, and Christ will come again!
THE PRAYER: Almighty God, merciful Father, thank You for showing Your faithfulness to the world as You sent Your Son to us. Thank you for showing us Your faithfulness by calling us to faith and sustaining our lives. By Your Spirit help us to joyfully await Your return for us, and use us to reach the world with Your truth. Amen
Written by Pastor Daniel Prugh
First Lutheran Church
Gainesville, Florida
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