PREPARE THE WAY
“He will turn many of the children of Israel to the
Lord their God, and he will go before him in the
spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the
fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a
people prepared.” —Luke 1:16–17
What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Don’t
let Christmas find you unprepared. I mean spiritually unprepared. Its joy and
impact will be so much greater if you are ready! That you might be prepared... First,
meditate on the fact that we need a Savior. Christmas is an indictment before it
becomes a delight. It will not have its intended effect until we feel
desperately the need for a Savior. Let these short Advent meditations help awaken
in you a bittersweet sense of need for the Savior. Second, engage in sober
self-examination. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter. “Search me, O
God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24) Let every heart prepare him
room... by cleaning house. Third, build God-centered anticipation and expectancy
and excitement into your home—especially for the children. If you are excited
about Christ, they will be too. If you can only make Christmas exciting with
material things, how will the children get a thirst for God? Bend the efforts
of your imagination to make the wonder of the King’s arrival visible for the
children. Fourth, be much in the Scriptures, and memorize the great passages!
“Is not my word like fire, says the Lord!” (Jeremiah 23:29) Gather ‘round that
fire this Advent season. It is warm. It is sparkling with colors of grace. It
is healing for a thousand hurts. It is light for dark nights
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