“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 mediations 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.
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 mediations 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.