Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Getting Ready for Christmas
by Phil Nielsen
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.
--Psalm 27:14

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.                            -- Malachi 3:1 

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah.... His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth...But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.
Once when he was serving as a priest before God, and his section was on duty, he was chosen ...to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense.... Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness...for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. ...even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God...to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."                                                                      -- Luke 1:5-17
How early do you get ready for Christmas? In our house, preparations for the next Christmas begin almost as soon as Christmas is over, as we buy wrapping paper and other supplies on sale for next year. We also look throughout the year for things that would make nice Christmas presents, and on the weekend after Thanksgiving our Christmas lights go up. Sometimes we might complain that preparations for Christmas are so long and elaborate, and that Christmas carols are heard in stores months in advance.

But today's readings make it clear that God was getting ready for Christmas for thousands of years--first through Psalms and prophecies, and then by sending John the Baptist to prepare the way. Christmas was not a "last minute" event; it was carefully planned for and happened at exactly the right moment in time. So, we should be planning for Christmas--looking for opportunities for Christ to come into our lives--all the time, not just on December 25.
Prayer: 
Lord Jesus, I ask you to send your Holy Spirit to make me ready at any time to be open for opportunities to serve you by serving others. Amen.
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