Tday is the first day of Advent. The word advent means to “Come”. In Advent we celebrate His having come, and prepare ourselves with expectant hearts for His coming again. In light of that duality, Advent invokes two attitudes in us; repentance, and rejoicing. Repentance in perpetration of His coming, and rejoicing in the fact He comes. Advent is a great reminder to us about how the Christian life works. In between His having come in His birth, and His anticipated coming again, He is constantly coming again,and again to us in our daily lives. The rhythm of His presence, and activity in our lives make everyday a fresh experience of Advent. Our calling is to live our lives in a constant attitude of deeper, and deeper repentance, and surrender, with a deeper, and, deeper anticipation of His ever coming presence, and activity. We must have the spirit of John the Baptist on our walk. His message was one of repentance, and his ministry “prepared the way of the Lord”. Our repentance prepares the way of the Lord to come to us in manifest ways in our lives. This why repentance gives birth to rejoicing; the rejoicing of celebrating His presence, and activity personally. Have a great Advent today.
Isaiah 40:3-5
3 A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
4 “Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Search me, O God, search me and know my heart;
Try me and prove me in the hidden part;
Cleanse me and make me holy, as Thou art,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Refrain
Lead me, lead me, lead me in the way everlasting;
Keep me from the things that wither and decay;
Give to me the things that cannot pass away,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Thou art the same today and yesterday;
Oh, make Thy life in me the same alway;
Take from my heart the things that pass away;
Lead, lead me in the way everlasting.
Refrain
Take my poor heart and only let me love
The things that always shall abiding prove;
Bind all my heartstrings to the world above,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Refrain
Help me to lay my treasures up on high;
Teach me to seek my future in the sky;
Give me my portion yonder by and by,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Refrain
Oh, let my work abide the testing day
That shall consume the stubble and the hay;
Oh, build my house upon the rock, I pray,
And lead me in the way everlasting.