Daily Devotional for Wednesday, December 6, 2023

The word of Christmas we are looking at today is EXPECTING. That’s what Advent is all about. The Bible says In Luke 2:1-7, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (2) (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) (3) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. (4) And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) (5) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. (6) And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. (7) And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (KJV).

God gave Mary a promise. A seed was planted. Now she had to wait. How long was it until Mary experienced the first signs of new life stirring in her? When did morning sickness start? When did she feel the first kick? When did Jesus first turn over in her tummy? All of these things were signs along the way that Jesus was coming, but still, Mary had to wait. And when her time came, it only got tougher. 

Poor Mary. Nine months pregnant and traveling ninty miles on the back of a donkey to an unwelcoming town. This was probably not what she was expecting for the birth of the Son of God. A long, bumpy ride. A dirty stable. There was no Bethlehem General Hospital. Her mom wasn’t even there to help her. It was just Joseph — the most unlikely midwife in history. But the seed of a miracle often sprouts in the soil of adversity. 

Advent is the season of expectation when we remember Jesus’ first coming, and we look with anticipation toward his second coming. But for many people, their whole life seems like an Advent season of waiting for the Lord — waiting for a healing, waiting for a break, waiting for some news of hope, waiting for direction, waiting for Jesus to come and set things right. But here is the decision you have to make in your Advent seasons: will you wait in doubt or wait in hope? For so many, the longer they wait, the less hopeful they feel. But the Bible says, Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Yes, wait with hope for the Lord (GWT). 

Waiting for the Lord is a lot like an expectant mother (like Mary) waiting for the birth of her child. There is a longing; an excited expectation, a joyful readiness, even in the midst of her discomfort. In fact, her expectation grows as her discomfort grows. The more uncomfortable she becomes, the more confident she becomes that something — or somebody — is coming. She is not pacing the floor for nine months saying, “Can’t we just hurry this up? We should be able to do this in half the time! Come on kid! What’s the matter with you? Why are you taking so long? Get with the program!” It’s not the baby that has to get with the program. It’s the mom who has to get with the program.

Sometimes I do that when I’m waiting on God. I say, “Come on God. Why are you taking so long? Get with the program!” But it’s not God who has to get with the program. I have to get with His program. Gestation periods are set by God. Has it occurred to you that your waiting period is really a gestation period? And there is nothing you can do to speed up the process. Instead, you must cooperate with God and get ready for deliverance.

The expectant mother doesn’t sit around and do nothing while she is waiting. She busies herself preparing for what she knows is coming. She prepares herself through diet, exercise, and rest. She cuts out unhealthy practices, unhealthy foods, and unhealthy habits. She avoids anything that could have a negative effect on the fruit of her labor. She also prepares her environment by making room for new life. She sets up a nursery and buys baby supplies and clothing. She doesn’t take a “wait and see” posture. She actively prepares for what she believes is coming. She doesn’t know the exact moment, but she knows the moment is coming when everything in her life will change so she fully prepares her body and her environment. 

The more she prepares, the more ready she becomes; but at the same time, the more ready she becomes, the more uncomfortable she becomes. This is what it looks like to wait with expectation. When you are waiting on God to birth something new in your life, there is a spiritual gestation period that is accompanied by discomfort, impatience, inconvenience, weariness, pain…and a pilgrimage. And just like an expectant mother, your gestation period is set by God. He decides how long you must wait. 

To wait for the Lord is to confidently expect Him to meet you and to make yourself ready. Have you thought that perhaps the reason God is taking so long is because you have not made yourself ready for Him to act? You might think you’re waiting on God, but God just might be waiting on you. Is there something He’s waiting for you to give up — or start up — to make yourself ready for hHs arrival? You need to prepare yourself and your environment for God to do something new. My most intimate and profound encounters with God have always come in the most painful times of life. 

1. What kind of pain are you going through right now? That pain could mean God is getting ready to birth something new in your life.
2. As you wait expecting God to come through, have you made yourself read for Him to act? Don’t give up hope.

Get ready—expect God to do bring some good out of it as He promises in Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them" (NLT). As you wait expecting God to do something in  and through your pain, remember what the Bible says in Isaiah 40:31, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (ESV).

Verse to Meditate On: Psalm 25:21, “May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You” (ESV).

Prayer to Pray: “Lord, Jesus, in this Advent season, many of us are waiting for You to act on our behalf; waiting for You to bring relief from our pain, waiting for You to answer our prayers. As we wait for You to arrive on the scene, help me to not give up hope, but to wait with confident expectation that You will fulfill Your promise, and that You will complete what You have started. Show me if there is anything You are waiting for me to give up — or start up — so that I can be fully prepared for the good work You are about to do in our lives. We pray this in Your name. Amen.