Praise the King of Kings, ICA families, the Advent season is upon us! The Christmas season serves as a special time for us to celebrate and reflect on the birth of Jesus, the goodness of God, and the promises yet to come.
Does your family keep an Advent calendar throughout the month of December to count down the days until we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day? Have you ever wondered why it is called an Advent calendar? Advent simply means coming. It’s a word of anticipation, one that should encourage us to reflect on Christ’s entrance into the world.
The season of Advent teaches us to value waiting. The entirety of the Old Testament points to Jesus coming to redeem us in our relationship to God. “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 33:14).
Like the people of Israel, we spend of a lot of time waiting, too. It is human to want to try and get through the waiting as fast as we can. We generally want whatever we are waiting for more than we want to wait for it. The season of Advent teaches us to slow down and enjoy the work God is doing while He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). When we spend time waiting, God helps us grow, and God is good on all His promises.
The birth of Jesus fulfills His promise to His people. He gave us His Son so we could come to know Him and have eternal life (John 3:16). We can see that God does what He says and He is who He says He is. Because we know God is faithful and doesn’t delay in His promises (2 Peter 3:9), we can trust Him fully and hope for the future to come.
Christ’s birth on Earth over 2,000 years ago points to Christ coming again. The season of Advent helps prepare our hearts to be ready for when He does. We can have hope because of God’s goodness that what He says is true. Even in the waiting for Jesus to come back, even when it seems mundane or ordinary, an extraordinary God is weaving together His story that will ultimately lead His children to life everlasting in Heaven.
Let us rejoice and be glad as we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Earth. May we continually stay in a state of anticipation as we eagerly await Christ’s return for those who know and love Him!
Wishing you all the merriest Christmas!
Blessings,
Julia Ellis
Principal, Ignite Christian Academy