LOOKING FORWARD
"...the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us')."
Isaiah 7:14 (NLT)
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."
Matthew 2:1-2 (ESV)
It's pretty much a fact that all kids look forward to Christmas. Being a baby boomer, I recall the Sears Wish Book. When it came in the mail, my sisters, brother and I would huddle around and pore over it page by page. Thick, heavy and smelling of fresh ink, we'd take turns dog-earing the pages that displayed our treasures. It arrived months early—plenty of time to build anticipation and make our Christmas wishes.
Oh, those were the days.
Over 700 years before Christ was born, the people of Israel received a prophetic message from God through the prophet Isaiah that Jesus would come and be born of a virgin. That gave them something to look forward to, and they passed the excitement on to the generations after them.
The Magi who sought out Jesus after His birth knew that a star would lead them to Him so they could worship Him. In Matthew 2:5-6, they quoted Micah 5:2 about the coming King. So, His coming must have been shared with them—passed down from their ancestors—and their anticipation must have grown with every mile closer to the star of David.
We have hope because Jesus has come... and we eagerly await His return. Revelation 19:11-16 paints that moment: the heavens open, Jesus on a white horse, eyes like flames of fire, many crowns on His head. It's amazing, beautiful and humbling—far more exciting than any adventure movie ever made.
Our King is returning for His children. Now that's something to look forward to!
APPLICATION: Will you open your Bible to Revelation chapter 19 like it's a Wish Book, taking in the scent of your printed Bible and the treasure of imagining the scene in your own mind?
PRAYER: Father, I look forward to Christmas this year, but even more, I look forward to Your return. Help me live for You and share about Your coming so that it will be passed on to the next generation. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?