Finding God in Advent预览

God Shows Up Again

In these devotions, I’ve presented some pretty good news. But I’m not naive.

Despite the joyful caroling, the pretty lights, and the yearly traditions, you may not feel like God has shown up for you. You may be experiencing deep hurt, stress, or tragedy. You’re trying hard to hang on to the joy that the holidays bring, but in the back of your mind, you know that this season will soon be over and you’ll be right back to the harsh realities of real life.

You know God shows up, but you’re not feeling it.

I hear you, friend, and I have more good news for you.

The beauty of the Advent season is not only that we celebrate the birth of Christ as a baby but also that we wait with anticipation for Christ to come again.

Hope is on his way.

Jesus may have shown up as a vulnerable baby in a manger and ended his short life on earth on a cross, but this story isn’t over. He has risen from the dead and will return as the triumphant King.

God showed up, and he will show up again. He always does.

As you stumble your way to spiritual leadership this Christmas season, take heart, knowing that you are following a God who promises to make all things right again.

The Bible should be one page long, but it isn’t. It’s more than a thousand pages long because God has not given up on his people. He has not given up on you. He has not given up on your marriage. He has not given up on your children. And he has not given up chasing you down with his great love.

He will not give up.

As you celebrate this holiday season, thank God that he showed up in flesh and blood to prove that he has not given up on humanity—or on you. But also, set your eyes on what is to come. The King will return to all this brokenness and make it new. And for that day, our hearts yearn.

Because this is the God of the Bible. He is the God who shows up. He always shows up. And in that, we can put our rest.

May we be the kind of husbands, fathers, and disciples who point our families back to that good news. It’s been celebrated for many centuries, and it’s still life-changing, still worth sharing.

Merry Christmas, friends.