Blessings and greetings L.Y.F.E. family!

Welcome to another edition of “L.Y.F.E. is…”!

We hope and pray that your hearts are encouraged and that you are blessed by this devotional!

Title: The Beautiful Meaning and Purpose of Advent

Scripture: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

It’s December and most of us can agree the first thing that comes to mind about this month is Christmas. When you think about December, many things come to mind like shopping, cold weather, traveling, and wrapping up of the past year and preparing for a new year. There are festive activities and celebrations around Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in December as well. While there are so many things that come to mind when thinking about the last month of the year; we must not forget the real “reason for the season.” And the real “reason for the season” is the anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ.

We celebrate the expectation of the birth of Christ during the season of Advent. Advent season is a special time of year that sometimes gets lost in the bright lights of the Christmas season it precedes. Advent is the preparation of the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The origin of “advent” comes from the Latin word meaning adventus which simply translates “coming” or “arrival.” Not only is this “coming” or “arrival” in preparation for Christ’s birth but also to celebrate the new life and coming of Jesus when someone accepts Christ as their personal LORD and Savior, and lastly, the anticipation when Jesus Christ returns again. Accordingly, we have 3 expectations of Jesus’ “coming” or “arrival.”

Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas with a different emphasis for each week. The first Sunday focuses on hope; the second Sunday focuses on peace; the third Sunday focuses on joy; and the fourth Sunday focuses on love. God’s greatest gift to humanity offered hope, peace, joy, and love to the world through the birth and life of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

The Advent season invites us to step away from the “hustle and bustle” of the holidays, shopping and crowded malls to focus on how we commemorate the birth of Jesus. It is an opportunity for someone to accept Christ into their lives and also invites us to meditate on Christ’s return.

We reflect on God’s unbroken promises of hope, peace, joy, and love to the world through Jesus Christ not just during the Advent season but every day of the year. 

Advent Prayer: Spirit of the True and Living God, fall fresh on us today. Thank You(God) for the gift of Jesus, Our Emmanuel and the Word made flesh. Thank You for bringing hope, peace, joy, and love into the whole world. We not only need Your promises today O God but LORD, we crave them. We are grateful because when the world around us spins out of control and goes its own way; Father, we can focus on You. And we rejoice in each and every blessing. We celebrate You as LORD-not just at Advent-but every day of every year. In Your Wonderful Name we pray. Amen.