the First Friday of Advent
Scripture Reading for Today:
The Only Thing Left to Do
Some things in life cannot be rushed.
Hasn’t our experience with COVID and all its associated uncertainties taught us that? We’ve been tentatively trudging our way out of isolations, shut-downs, and cancellations for a while now, and we still don’t know if COVID is over.
Because some things in life cannot be rushed.
Like the healing of broken bones and the healing of the body after surgery.
Like growing up.
Or waiting to hear back from the doctor, the judge, the job interview.
Like the countdown to Christmas day.
Or my youngest son eating his dinner.
Some things in life cannot be rushed and sometimes the only thing left to do is wait.
Waiting stills a person into a state of stasis. It holds you where you are and whispers, “You’re not there….yet.”
When we wait, we look expectantly forward to a changed or new position.
And in the season of Advent, we intentionally put ourselves into a posture of waiting.
Advent is a time of great expectation for Christmas to arrive; of longing to celebrate the birth of Jesus; of eagerly looking forward to the second coming of Christ. It’s a time when many crank up the Christmas carols, deck the halls, and set up the tree. It’s a time to pause and ask ourselves:
Do we know how to wait well?
The lectionary readings for today present three groups of waiting people. Malachi is a letter written to the people of Judah 100 years after they returned from exile in Babylon. In the book of Luke, we meet Zechariah the priest holding his newborn, miraculous son, born to him in his old age. And in his letter to the Philippians, an imprisoned Paul writes encouragement to the people of Philippi. Each passage lends clarity on how to wait better.
Wait with Others (Malachi 3:13-18)
Waiting in solitude is difficult and lonely, but waiting with others shrinks time, lends support, and gives companionship. Hours of traffic jam hold-ups seem shorter when there’s someone to talk to. Biding time while a bone mends is less arduous when people come and visit. And waiting for a judge’s verdict is easier to do with others by our side.
The lectionary passage from Malachi describes two groups of people. The first group metaphorically throws up their hands and scoffs, “It is futile to serve God!” (vs 14). What’s the point? they state in exasperation. By contrast, the second group is characterized as people who fear the LORD; they are a community that communicates their faith with one another. And the LORD notices. He pays attention, he hears them, and he has a book of remembrance written. With tenderness, he claims them by saying, “They shall be mine” (vs 17 in ESV.)
We spend many moments in life waiting, and it’s good to wait with others--but not with just anyone. The company we keep matters.
So how can we wait well?
Don’t wait alone.
Find a community that follows Jesus and talks about their faith. Seek people who are supportive and encouraging; look for fellow believers who will love you, hold you accountable, and build you up.
2. Wait and Remember (Luke 1:60-79)
In Luke 1, we read about the elderly priest known as Zechariah, singing over his newborn son. I like to imagine him cradling the child who will grow up to become John the Baptist, the voice calling from the desert to prepare the way for Jesus.
Zechariah’s song is known as the Benedictus. This is the first time the Bible records him speaking since he was struck dumb by the angel who foretold his son’s birth.
Zechariah’s song praises God for all He has done. “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel because he has come to his people and redeemed them,” he sings (vs 68). Zechariah recounts a God who is intimate, faithful, active, merciful, and trustworthy. He keeps his promises.
And if this is a God who keeps his promises, then a foundation for confident and expectant hope is laid. Surely He will continue to keep His promises. Radiant with this assurance, Zechariah turns to his baby boy and prophesies, “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.” (vs 76)
Zechariah’s song presents the practice of looking back and remembering in order to look forward and trust. He reflects on God’s promises, sees that they hold true, and is filled with a jubilant and optimistic confidence for the future: “the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (vs 78, 79)
In any season of waiting, looking back and reflecting helps us process. God’s Word constantly urges us to remember (e.g., Psalm 105:5) and often repeats and recounts stories of His faithfulness, capability, and love. That’s because looking back, remembering, and reflecting give us reason to look forward with unshakeable hope.
So look back.
Can you see a God who faithfully kept his promises to His people throughout time? Who kept his promises to you?
Have you felt His loving presence throughout the isolations of COVID?
Do you witness his constancy in the rhythms and beauty of nature?
3.Wait in Contentment (Philippians 1:18b-26)
The book of Philippians is a letter of encouragement written by the apostle Paul from a prison cell. Paul must have been the most irritating prisoner, because he found opportunity and joy wherever he was. When he reflects on whether he would prefer to be released from jail or executed, he makes this powerful statement: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (vs 21) In Paul’s eyes, he’s in a win-win situation, perhaps belting out “Que Sera Sera” from behind bars because he has learned the secret to contentment.
Later in his letter, he states, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil. 4: 13)
Contentment, Paul shares, is not found in the alignment of perfect circumstances. Nope. Life is way too slippery and ever-changing for us to anchor our hope in things like health, or relationships, or COVID ending, or money, or success. Instead, contentment is found in knowing that no matter what, God.
God is our constant in a whirlwind world of change. God is our strength when we are worn down by weakness. God is our guide when we’re not sure who to believe.
We need to shift our perspective from our circumstances to Him. He is our solid ground, and anchored in Him, we find contentment.
How can you wait better?
Wait in the confidence that, even though life will continually shift and change, God will remain constant forever.
Dear friends, with Advent, a season of waiting has begun.
Let’s cultivate a posture of waiting well.
.
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BV
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