The Magnificat: Advent Day 13
Beginnings of a New Thing
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord.” How exactly does one prepare the way of the Lord? At first glance, it appears to involve heavy machinery and a lot of earth moving expertise. But when we look at how John the Baptist actually prepared the way, he “proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3).
And how does that prepare the way? As Isaiah said, “Your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). By recognizing our sin for what it is and making a conscious decision to turn and head in the other direction, we begin to restore our relationship with the God that loves us. Once we give God a foot in the door, the Holy Spirit enters and works within us to help identify further sin, and gives us the strength to oppose it. In fact, by giving our life to Christ, we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), and no longer a slave to sin (Romans 6:6).
During this Christmas season, I pray that those that do not know our lord and savior would give their life to Him, and that those who have already made that decision would humble themselves & ask Him to reveal any unconfessed sins in their lives. Then may we turn from those sins to embrace the ways of the God who humbled himself by entering the world as an infant in a manger. Amen.
