Longing for Christmas | Northlands Church

Longing for Christmas

December 18, 2015 | LauraBoal

Longing for Christmas

by: LauraBoal

Our longing for God doesn't begin to touch His longing for us.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV)

What are you longing for this Christmas? Is it time off? A particular gift? Perhaps it’s the chance to spend the day with someone you love and miss. We can long for things deeply, and the waiting can be hard.

Before Jesus was born, observant Jews had been longing for Messiah for a very long time. Perhaps some thought God had forgotten about them, but that wasn’t the case at all. Jesus came “at the proper time”, not before and not after. His coming fulfilled God’s promises to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, and to King David, among others. Isn’t that encouraging? God always keeps His promises. In addition, the Old Testament contained over 300 prophecies about Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled every one of them. What a testimony to His faithfulness!

However much God’s people longed for Him, it didn’t begin to touch God’s longing for His people. He was busy doing all that was necessary to deliver them into a great salvation, wonderful beyond anything they could have imagined. Let’s drink in these wonderful words of encouragement:

“But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, he united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace! …We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One.” (Ephesians 2:4-10, The Passion Translation)

“We have become His poetry.” Dear friend, God’s heart is for you! He always keeps His promises and He loves to bless you. What are you trusting Him for today?

Prayer

Father, I long for you. I’m so glad you long for me! Teach me how to live attuned to you, in joyful expectancy of Your goodness.

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