The advent season is a beautiful time to reflect on God's adoptive love for a broken world. Join me in preparing for Christmas by meditating daily on the coming of Christ and praying for the fatherless.
December 5th: God With Us
Matthew 1: 22-23 "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
"God with us." Is there a more powerful phrase? If three words could describe all that Jesus is, "God with us" would be the choice description. How do you explain to your child that God, creator of heaven and earth, came to earth as an infant? I remember being a child, trying to wrap my mind around God being a baby. Did he scream and cry when he was hungry? He never threw temper tantrums? At what point was his consciousness aware that he was fully God? Questions like these would fill my brain during the Christmas season and as my children grow older they are now beginning to ask similar inquisitive questions as they try to make sense of it all.
It is hard to understand precisely because "God with us" is a miraculous mystery. The beautiful, complex holy Trinity was whispered in the ears and hearts of humanity the night that Christ was born: God has came to dwell with us! Christ's birth meant that the Trinity would move toward the dead, the decay, the curse and enter into our sin and suffering. The moment Christ came to dwell with us God's perfect union that he shared among the Father, Spirit, and Son were affected. Before time began, for all eternity: the Father, Spirit, and Son shared an abundant love with one another that overflowed with joy, peace,and light.
That perfect fellowship changed when God the Son became human flesh. It was an action that would affect the person of Christ for all eternity future. Forever, Christ the Son would be fully human. It was not just the death of Christ the Son that costed God the Father, but the birth of Christ came at great cost as well. God came to dwell with us because his love was so great that he chose to lavish that love upon us, even though it cost him greatly.
Prayer for the Orphan:
Pray today for the 130+ million orphans around the world today. Pray for local churches, worldwide to care for the orphans in their city. Pray especially for churches in impoverished nations, that they would be blessed for their efforts to care for those most vulnerable even though they themselves are struggling as well. Pray for the Lord to continue to strengthen and grow the orphan care movement in other parts of the world.
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