Great Expectations

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6-7

Talk about great expectations. God's people had waited and waited and waited some more for the coming of the promised Messiah. They had believed, hoped, and looked withexpectation for generations. And generation after generation, there was no sign of the awaited Savior.

The Israelites expected a king as described by Isaiah. On his shoulders would be the government—a kingdom. He would reign on a throne and uphold justice and righteousness in the land. Imagine generations of Israelites looking, expecting, and anticipating the coming of the King of kings. They had expectations of royalty riding in with horses and chariots.

Now, fast forward to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. The long-awaited King was coming. How does one receive a king? With grandeur, pomp, and circumstance? With feasts and parties? Shouldn't they be having planning meetings and preparing for his arrival?

No, parties and royal ceremonies would not be the way this King entered the world. Instead, this baby King came humbly and quietly in a small town without a royal parade. This King would lay low for years, waiting until the Spirit led him to proclaim his message. Not quite what God's people had expected.

Many of us have a problem with expectation adjustment. We have a hard time switching gears when what we thought was going to happen isn't what actually happens. Often we focus too much on our unmet expectations so that we miss out on the joy of many moments.

Sometimes we do this with God. We think he will show up at a certain time in a certain way in our lives, and what we think should happen doesn't. In these moments, we have to regroup and remember that God always shows up at just the right time and place. It doesn't always happen as we imagined, but the gift of God's presence in our lives has never beenabsent. When we look for a royal word from the sky, he often comes as a whisper in the quiet of the night.

We know from reading the Gospels that God's people had a hard time receiving Jesus as the Messiah because he was not what they thought he would be and the situation was not what they had planned or prepared for. Some regrouped and remembered that God shows up on his own time and in his own way. Others could not make the adjustment.

How will we receive the news of the awaited Prince of Peace this season? Can we allow God to enter into our lives in his own way? Can we expect to encounter him even if the situation isn't what we planned or prepared for?

In the Advent narrative God is like an expectant father ready to tell the whole world the good news of his Son's birth. This good news will change our hearts and our lives forever. With great expectation, let's invite God to show up and do a work in us this Advent.

Prayer Focus

How will you be open to encountering God, no matter how or when he shows up?

Where Is Your Heart?

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"

Luke 1:39-45

"Let every heart prepare him room" we sing together in church or hum along with the Christmas music played in the stores for shoppers. Part of the work of waiting in Advent is to make space in your heart for the Christ child, to create margin in your life so there is space to receive and experience him as if for the first time.

Consider the expectant mother making preparations for her baby to arrive—the doctor visits, the nursery, the items in the dresser drawers, the diapers, the car seat, the stroller—all physical work to be done to welcome baby. Even still, in her heart she is pondering this life in her belly. She is wondering what he or she will be like. She is expecting to have her life radically shaken up by this little one. She expects to become a whole new version of herself. This new mom is making room in her life and in her heart for her precious child.

Advent brings us this kind of expectancy and work of preparation. We get ready for the celebration of Christ's birth with parties, concerts, baking, decorations, family traditions, and giving. All the while, in our hearts we clear away the things that have crowded out the space belonging to Jesus. We ponder what this newborn King means for our lives and our world.

Part of Mary's preparation was to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was also pregnant with her own version of a miracle baby. She was older than Mary and spoke into Mary's life a word of hope and confirmation that God was indeed at work in both of them. With all the preparation that needed to occur for the arrival of their babies, they took some time just to be together, to wonder at this work of God, and to soak in the miracle of it all.

We may not feel an urgent need to run to a relative, but in this season we should take a moment to think about our "Elizabeths." Who are your trusted confidants to whom you run with great news or deep sadness? Give thanks to God for these people and consider how you might play the role of mentor and encourager to others. How can you celebrate together the amazing things God is doing in your lives?

Mary and Elizabeth were about to experience extreme life changes. Their babies were going shake up everything they ever thought about who they were, what they were about, and what God was doing in them and in the world. What if we approached Advent with the same expectancy?

Just like Mary, we are shaken...