Advent: A Time of Preparation

Now there is less than a week until Christmas! The Christmas Rush has now become frantic. There is so much time and so little do. Wait a minute; turn that around. There is so LITTLE TIME and SO MUCH to do! Final preparations are underway for our special day of celebration! Much has already been accomplished, but there are special folks on your Chirstmas list that you just haven't found the right gift for yet! Still, there is the Christmas dinner to prepare, and making sure you have film for your camera or batteries charged and ready to go. Travel plans are being finalized for those who will be visiting family out of town. There is joyous anticipation! There are some gifts still to be wrapped, and there is the concern if a few of them will arrive in time or not. We actually are waiting on some to arrive that we ordered online!

There certainly were some serious preparations for the first Christmas too. God stirred up the whole world in preparation for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. Luke 2:1-5 records it like this:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

For Joseph and Mary, getting ready was quite an ordeal, too. One important consideration was that they had a long and difficult journey to make. They couldn't call a tour bus company like the one pictured above. Thursday morning this tour bus was waiting for us to travel to Atlanta. Our trip was a pleasant one, in first class comfort. The seventy mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem had no such convenience, none of the comforts of present day travel. Their trip was one of daily exposure to the elements, as they trudged through some very difficult terrain.

As we make our own journey through the difficulties of this world, we are likewise preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ. He is coming again, and we are living in an extended time of preparation. We are preparing our hearts and souls for His second advent! That's right. Jesus is coming again. This morning, as we make final preparation for Christmas, let's pause to prepare our hearts for His presence and keep our souls ready for the return of our soon-coming King! Have a blessed day!