Tuesday, December 2, 2014

December 2, 2014 - Along the Way ...

Today, I want to reflect on Advent; the time of year in the Christian calendar when we remember what it was like for God's people to wait for the coming Messiah, as well as remind ourselves that we are now waiting for the return of Christ to make all things new.

So how should we prepare for the coming of the King?

In Psalm 24:4, we are told those who may ascend the mountain of the LORD (temple), and stand in His holy place, are those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who do not trust in idols and do not swear by a false god.

So we need to prepare ourselves in order to approach the King.

In Psalm 24:5, we are then promised that those who do will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior, and then verse 6 tacks on these words ...

"Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob"

So I ask myself, am I of that generation, am I seeking God's face?  

In order to answer that question, we must first ask what does that mean?   What does it mean to seek God's face?

The word "seek" itself implies that seeking requires effort.   It does not simply happen, it involves a clear decision, a commitment to pursue at all costs.   God's face is His entire being, it is His character, all that He is.  Knowing God is a lifelong pursuit.   We cannot know Him unless we invest time, seeking Him, reading His word, asking for understanding, wisdom, etc.  

So am I seeking God's face, am I preparing myself for His coming by exerting effort to really know Him?  

I will allow each of us to answer that question for ourselves, but as I do I also want to direct us to something Jesus taught while He was here on earth.  

(Read Matthew 25:1-13)

This is the Parable of the Ten Virgins, it is sandwiched between Jesus' words on the day of the LORD.  In offering these warnings, Jesus instructs us to "keep watch" for we do not know the hour or the day.  

Are we keeping watch?  Is there something we should be doing that would show that we are seeking, that we are keeping watch?  

These have been my thoughts, I encourage you to share some of your own, as we journey together along the Way ... 

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