Advent: Faith
As we journey through Advent, we can look at the story of the birth of Jesus and learn about how faith in God can absolutely change our lives.
The candle of Faith during the Advent season is also called the candle of Bethlehem because it reminds us of the faith that it took for Joseph and Mary to journey there. Now, Bethlehem was no easy journey. With no modern amenities such as cars or planes, they very well had to take some sort of animal and then ride or walk the whole way there. Mary was extremely pregnant and Joseph had to lead the way for his family, so I can imagine that this journey was incredibly hard and took immense faith to be carried out. Even more so, I would wager that there were feelings of annoyance too.
Mary and Joseph were awaiting the Savior of the world to be born; and if you’ve ever been pregnant or have been close to someone who has been, then you know how important those moments leading up to birth are! You take time to prepare yourself and your space for your coming child, take immense care and intentionality to make sure that you’re “ready” for the time that they arrive. Yet during these months leading up to the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary received a call to complete a census and had no choice but to go on the difficult journey, not knowing what it would look like, and even having Jesus while they were there.
So what can we learn?
Life is always busy. Whether it’s a new baby, a new job, a new relationship, or just a new season that we’re journeying through, we can easily get swept up in the hurry of life. I’m sure that for Mary and Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem felt upsetting, inconvenient, and more difficult than they dreamed. If I were them, I absolutely and positively would not want to go. However, if they hadn't given up the busyness of the season they were in, they would not have ended up exactly where they needed to be. You see, the prophecies told of Jesus’ coming, and all said that He would be born in Bethlehem. We can see one of these in Micah 5:2 where it says, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”
Sometimes, we can be so busy that we aren’t even listening to the One who sets our path before us. Today, I encourage you to take a look at what your life looks like - the mess, the chaos, the hurry, the good and the bad alike - and see where the Lord is calling you to pause, to listen, and to take steps of faith. Just like Mary and Joseph, if we listen to the Lord and have faith in Him that He will supply every need, we will be able to walk in the journey that He has us on. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Let the God of the Universe lead you and guide you today, and every day. What a gift it is to be so close and so loved by our Father!
ACTIVATION/PRAYER: Take a few moments to write down what you feel like are the busiest moments of your day. Now, simply ask God how you can submit these things to Him. You can even pray a prayer like this:
“Lord, today I submit my hurries and worries to You. You alone are the one who leads me and guides me, and I ask that You would help to show me where I’m so busy and distracted that I can’t see where You’re taking me. I also ask that You would help me to have faith in You, that You know what’s best for me, and that You are always with me. You are great, greatly to be praised, and I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
The candle of Faith during the Advent season is also called the candle of Bethlehem because it reminds us of the faith that it took for Joseph and Mary to journey there. Now, Bethlehem was no easy journey. With no modern amenities such as cars or planes, they very well had to take some sort of animal and then ride or walk the whole way there. Mary was extremely pregnant and Joseph had to lead the way for his family, so I can imagine that this journey was incredibly hard and took immense faith to be carried out. Even more so, I would wager that there were feelings of annoyance too.
Mary and Joseph were awaiting the Savior of the world to be born; and if you’ve ever been pregnant or have been close to someone who has been, then you know how important those moments leading up to birth are! You take time to prepare yourself and your space for your coming child, take immense care and intentionality to make sure that you’re “ready” for the time that they arrive. Yet during these months leading up to the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary received a call to complete a census and had no choice but to go on the difficult journey, not knowing what it would look like, and even having Jesus while they were there.
So what can we learn?
Life is always busy. Whether it’s a new baby, a new job, a new relationship, or just a new season that we’re journeying through, we can easily get swept up in the hurry of life. I’m sure that for Mary and Joseph, the journey to Bethlehem felt upsetting, inconvenient, and more difficult than they dreamed. If I were them, I absolutely and positively would not want to go. However, if they hadn't given up the busyness of the season they were in, they would not have ended up exactly where they needed to be. You see, the prophecies told of Jesus’ coming, and all said that He would be born in Bethlehem. We can see one of these in Micah 5:2 where it says, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”
Sometimes, we can be so busy that we aren’t even listening to the One who sets our path before us. Today, I encourage you to take a look at what your life looks like - the mess, the chaos, the hurry, the good and the bad alike - and see where the Lord is calling you to pause, to listen, and to take steps of faith. Just like Mary and Joseph, if we listen to the Lord and have faith in Him that He will supply every need, we will be able to walk in the journey that He has us on. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Let the God of the Universe lead you and guide you today, and every day. What a gift it is to be so close and so loved by our Father!
ACTIVATION/PRAYER: Take a few moments to write down what you feel like are the busiest moments of your day. Now, simply ask God how you can submit these things to Him. You can even pray a prayer like this:
“Lord, today I submit my hurries and worries to You. You alone are the one who leads me and guides me, and I ask that You would help to show me where I’m so busy and distracted that I can’t see where You’re taking me. I also ask that You would help me to have faith in You, that You know what’s best for me, and that You are always with me. You are great, greatly to be praised, and I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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