Wednesday, December 21
Isaiah 42:1-25 and Revelation 9:1-12
Do you remember wanting a certain Christmas gift so desperately that you could barely stand it? When I was a kid, I wanted more than anything to get the new Nintendo Wii video game console. I was jealous of a lot of my friends who had it until one Christmas my parents surprised my brother and me with one. We were overjoyed to have the best gift ever. We played for hours on end—that is, until we got bored with one game and begged our parents for another. Two games turned into five, which turned into too many to count. Fast forward about six years later, and we ended up giving our Wii to another family. The gift we anticipated more than anything else became something we rarely even used. We were on to the next bigger and better electronic game.
During this Advent season, it is easy to get consumed with the buying and receiving of gifts instead of focusing on the incomparable gift we already have. In Isaiah 42:10-17, God is sharing His incredible gift to us is, but our sinful nature—then and now—puts earthly possessions and priorities above God’s gift to us. We will never be truly satisfied when we put our faith and hope in earthly possessions to give us true happiness.
In this season of anticipation, may we strive to focus more on the gift of God’s Son coming to this earth to save us instead of all the material gifts we hope to receive at Christmas. My brand-new Wii or any gift given to me will never be the best gift ever. I had already had the most priceless gift given to me before I was born. That is a true reason for absolute celebration:
Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise… (Isaiah 42:12a)
We can thank God for his remarkable gift to us this season by keeping our eyes of faith focused on the ultimate gift of Christ Jesus. May the Holy Spirit kindle in us a desperate desire to know Jesus better and to share His love with all whom we encounter.
KAYLA NOMMENSEN
CUW Student
About this series
“Advent Anticipation: the arrival of our Savior” is a sampling of biblical meditations composed by members of the CUWAA community. It is our prayer that you will take time during the Advent season to read and reflect upon God’s Word and await the coming of Jesus with newfound enthusiasm and anticipation through the Holy Spirit.