what fills the fast?

Posted on by Grace Day

My church is getting ready to do twenty-one days of prayer and fasting. Most people think of giving up food when they think of fasting. And that is typical. But there are other things that one can give up such as screen time, (tv or computer) phone time, social media time etc. Most of us do spend an inordinate amount of time on our phones. So if we put our phones down – what would we do? What would we put in the space where our phones have been? How about conversation with an actual human being who is physically present with us? Do we remember how to do that?

As I look out over the high school classroom I am in today, most every student has phone in hand and eyes glued to their phone. No one is reading a book, no one is writing anything on paper or on a computer, even though they each have a Chromebook through the school. (Except for myself, I am writing this, so it does involve screen time for me, but I am not consuming social media content or scrolling randomly – I am writing this)

As I contemplate what I will “fast” from or in other words, what I will give up, it occurs to me that perhaps I should be giving at least equal thought to what it is that I will put in the place of what I give up or eliminate from my diet or from my daily schedule. This could potentially be more impactful than what I give up. After all, if I give up cookies but fill the void that leaves with ice cream, pie, pastries and candy, does this provide me any benefit? (I think the idea is not just to give something up, such as twinkies and Cheetos, but to then replace said food items or whatever it is that I give up, with a better option – say broccoli and asparagus?) This cautionary tale from Matthew comes to mind as I consider fasting and filling – what will I put in the space fasting leaves empty in my stomach, in my daily schedule, or in my life?

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45)

These words remind me that when I fast from something or eliminate something from my life – I had better be intentional about what I choose to fill that now empty space – because the void created by fasting will not remain empty. Something will fill my stomach or my time or my mind or my heart. If I don’t intentionally choose what that will be, lesser things will gain access and occupy the spaces in my heart, in my mind, in my daily routine and in my life – spaces that were meant all along for my Creator to fill as His abiding place. After all, I read in Ephesians –

“And God placed all things under His (Jesus’s) feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:22-23)

My Heavenly Father wants to fill all the empty spaces in my mind, my heart, my daily routine, and in my life. However, too often I let other things fill those spaces and crowd Him out. Why would I let fear, anxiety, strife, (mind) anger, hate, unforgiveness (heart) phone scrolling, computer time, social media (daily routine) and lack of identity and purpose when I live for myself (creates those empty spaces in my life – creates an empty life actually) – why would I allow these things to fill my life, leaving no room for the presence of God’s gift – His Holy Spirit? I want to make room for this gift God promised to me and to you and to each one of us who will make room for Him. Jesus told His disciples this –

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14:18-20)

maybe fasting is supposed to be about making room for the filling of God in me and in all the newly cleaned out spaces of my life?

maybe fasting without the filling of God’s presence is futile?

today I will start the filling by following these instructions –

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:4 & 8)

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

let the fasting begin so that the filling may follow! I will use these instructions from Hebrews as my guide while I embark upon this journey of fasting, following and filling –

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

“throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” – that’s what fasting is asking me to do – eliminate what’s holding me hostage and make room for the freedom of God’s filling – I’ll keep you “posted” on my progress during this fasting and prayer journey (pun intended)

sincerely, Grace Day

AI and all things artificial

Posted on by Grace Day

I can’t stop thinking about artificial vs. real after writing yesterday’s post. I mean, the Israelites had a relationship with an all wise, all powerful, loving, good God. And they traded all that in for a golden calf? That calf hadn’t sustained them with manna or “bread from heaven” new every morning BUT God did. That calf hadn’t rescued them from their oppressors BUT God did. That calf didn’t know them personally, didn’t even know their names BUT God did. Our God is a personal God. His word says this about Him –

“He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of HIs great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:26)

I think it’s safe to say if God knows the name of every star in the sky, He also knows the name of every person He has created in His image. Actually, we are told He knows more than just our names. Our Heavenly Father knows every hair on our heads. He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground. He knows the way that I take. So I can be sure that God knows not only my name, but each and every one of our names.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

I can’t say as much for that golden calf, however. The calf knew nothing about anything. But God knew and knows everything, including the names of all the rebellious Israelites who chose a golden calf over Him. This battle between what is real and what is artificial has been raging long before AI came into existence. It is as old as the battle between good and evil. God is the author of light and of life and of all that is real, which He created. Enter satan, the deceiver, the counterfeiter, the one whose only option is to attempt to copy God’s original work. In Corinthians we read this about satan –

“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Masquerading. That says it all, doesn’t it? Pretending, deceiving, impersonating. Today, sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is artificial. Take counterfeit money and real money, for example. It’s often hard to tell the difference. But one has value in that you can buy needed stuff with it, the other has no real value but could land you in jail. With money, it is important to be able to discern the difference between what is real and what is fake or counterfeit.

How about artificial plants and flowers? It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between the real and the artificial from a distance. Ever wonder why the artificial is so popular? Could it be that artificial plants need no care, therefore nothing is required of me or of you? I don’t have to water artificial plants. They don’t grow, so I don’t have to prune them or repot them into bigger pots. I don’t have to clean up their dead leaves. I don’t have to interact with artificial plants or flowers at all.

Artificial requires nothing from you and me, no relationship, no care. Of course, artificial plants and flowers produce no food for us to eat or pollen for bees to gather to make honey or lovely flower fragrances. We have a symbiotic relationship with real plants – we take care of them and they produce food for us to eat. In this case, artificial just isn’t able to provide a relationship or a relationship’s life-giving results.

But what if I mistake the artificial for the real? What if I water my artificial plants in hopes that they will grow and prosper and produce food? I am going to be very disappointed. No matter how often or how much I water my artificial plants, they will never grow bigger, they will never bloom or produce food. Artificial plants can’t produce anything. They are not alive. They will not grow and bloom and reproduce like real plants do, no matter how diligently I care for them.

I wonder if the Israelites ever figured this out with the golden calf that they made and then proceeded to worship? Did they not notice that the calf they were bowing down to and sacrificing to remained unmoved and unresponsive to even their most fervent gestures? God, Himself, said this to Moses about the Israelites –

“They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’ ” (Exodus 32:8)

Are you kidding me? What short memories the Israelites had! Had they forgotten their daily miracle manna or the water from the rock? They clearly had forgotten this commandment of God –

“You shall have no other gods before Me. . . . Do not make any gods to be alongside Me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.” (Exodus 20:3 & 23)

Why would they trade in the living for the non-living? the real for the artificial? the divine for the man-made? Of course, with the calf they were in control, they made the rules. The calf didn’t have commandments or rules like their living Creator God did. There was no discipline from the calf for their wayward actions. The calf also offered them no protection nor provision nor guidance nor wisdom nor purpose nor life. They were pretty much on their own with the calf as their object of worship. However, this artificial idol would never satisfy their innate longing to be in relationship with their loving Creator.

Time and again God would draw them back to Himself and time and again they would turn to other things in place of the very real and living Heavenly Father who was right there with them. How often do I do that today? How often do I substitute the artificial for the real? Cyberspace and AI make it increasingly easy to do just that. Artificial is much easier to control than real. Real people are unpredictable and multi-faceted. Artificial is predictable, controllable – man made it, man controls it.

BUT – I want the real adventure of walking with my real Heavenly Father rather than giving my attention and allegiance to artificial things of my own invention. Being in a relationship with my Creator requires of me trust, submission, obedience, courage – lots of courage to follow where He leads because it is almost always counter cultural and not what my human nature would choose. That’s where trust and courage come in handy.

Something else just occurred to me. That real life is painful – joyful but also painful. If I deal only with the artificial, there is no pain (ie. artificial plants never die) but there is also no joy.

Oh Lord, I don’t want to waste my time building and bowing down to artificial golden calves of my own making, when I could be walking with and worshiping You, the only real and living God.

“I am the Lord; that is My name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols. . . . This is what God the Lord says – He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” (Isaiah 42:8 & 5-7)

sincerely, Grace Day

does AI really know?

Posted on by Grace Day

I have some concerns about artificial intelligence. Today, I came face to face with these concerns in the car wash. Yes, you read that correctly. It was in the car wash that I was confronted with one of the many facets of AI, all of which I try to avoid if possible. I mean, just the name should be a red flag, right? “Artificial intelligence” as opposed to real or genuine intelligence. Since when do we prefer artificial anything over the real version of that same thing?

Coca-Cola was marketed as “the real thing.” Phrases such as “keeping it real” or “get real” or “he’s the real deal” are popular for a reason. Chefs prefer and use real ingredients over artificial substitutes. In the world of fashion, only the real thing is of value. Imposters or copycats of designer footwear, handbags and clothing are called knockoffs. They are mere imitations of the real thing and have no value of their own. We can have real relationships in person but online it is hard to know if we are communicating with a real person or if we are chatting with AI. Can “artificial” aka “fake” people really satisfy our need for connection and community? I think not. But back to my car wash experience.

I am driving a new car which has many features that my old car of many years did not have. Just fyi – I was happy with my old car, but it gave out. So my new car and I are going through the car wash and my car becomes alarmed, thinking I am too close to the car in front of me as we move forward through the wash. My car starts beeping, signaling me that I am in danger because I am too close to the car in front of me. But there is nothing I can do. Once my car is on that conveyor belt like thing, it is put in neutral, and I have no control over our progress as we proceed through the wash. Every time we would move forward, my car would panic and start beeping frantically, assuming we were going to hit the car in front of us. I guess my car didn’t know that the car in front of us was moving forward at the exact same speed as we were moving forward.

I and my car were in no danger, but my car did not know this was the case. I attempted to reassure her, but to no avail. After all, my car’s intelligence is “artificial” not “real.” I can’t reason with her or point out to her that we are not out on the road but in a car wash. We are not on a collision course but riding on a conveyor belt for cars. My car has no wisdom or understanding or adaptability. She has only pre-programed instructions for how to interpret the world around her. I guess I should be glad her windshield wipers didn’t start up automatically in the car wash because she thought it was raining. Her wipers would have gotten entangled with those car wash tentacles that come down out of nowhere and clean your windshield.

At any rate, I was relieved when we finally exited the carwash and my car’s frantic beeping ceased. Now I’m wondering – is this what will happen every time I take my car through the car wash? She has no “real” intelligence, no ability to learn or to change behavior based on past experiences, no memory. I don’t think I can ask the car wash workers to allow an empty space between me and the car ahead. That would not be good for their business, as the lines are usually long and they need to keep cars moving to get as many people through the wash as possible during their hours of operation.

I must resign myself to the fact that my car’s intelligence is “artificial.” My car is not going to learn new behaviors, nor is she going to listen to reason or be able to “read the room” and adjust her behavior accordingly. She will do only what she’s programed to do – nothing extra or spontaneous. Maybe that’s the draw of AI, its predictability. But I like the spontaneity, flexibility, adaptability, tenacity, courage, kindness and humor of real people. You just can’t get any of that with “artificial” intelligence or pretend people. And why do we even call it “intelligence”? Isn’t intelligence the ability to learn and grow and change as we interact with those around us in meaningful ways?

But you know, even in Old Testament times, people preferred the artificial to the real. Remember the Israelites? Their very real, living God led them out of slavery in Egypt into a land He had promised to them. God parted the Red Sea right in front of their eyes. He traveled with them through the wilderness in a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. The fire lit their way at night, the cloud protected them from the hot sun by day. And yet, first chance they got, while Moses was up on the mountain, the Israelites made a golden calf for themselves and proceeded to worship it. Why?

God was and is real. The calf was artificial. It was man made. It was not alive. That golden calf could not hear them or see them. It could not watch over them or care for them. In fact, the calf didn’t care about them at all. They couldn’t have a relationship with the calf like they had with their Heavenly Father, Creator God – a living God who knew them by name and watched over them faithfully. Why would they trade in that very real relationship for one-sided worship of a lifeless statue they made themselves? Who gives up a real relationship with a living Being only to replace it with a non-living statue substitute? Who prefers the artificial to the real?

Apparently sometimes we real humans do. We prefer the unreal – aka – the artificial to the real thing. Why? Is it because we think this gives us control? Interacting with a golden calf, or any man-made statue or object for that matter, provides no surprises and puts us in charge. The inanimate object cannot challenge its maker or do anything on its own. Actually, “interacting” is too strong a word. An inanimate object provides no reciprocity. It does not “interact” with anything or anyone. It is not capable of forming relationships because it is not alive.

But just as today we are dealing with man-made AI, our ancestors, centuries before us, dealt with their own artificial inventions, much to their detriment. We read about how this played out in Romans –

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” (Romans 1:21-23)

The result of their decision?

“Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen.” (Romans 1:24-25)

They exchanged truth for lies, a relationship with a Living God for worship of an inanimate object – a statue that couldn’t talk back or reciprocate their feelings in any way. They exchanged the real for the artificial. And it left a void that needed to be filled. We continue to try to fill that void today with things of our own making BUT – nothing we make for ourselves, nothing artificial, can ever fill that space in us which is designed specifically for our Creator to inhabit. Only the real thing will do. My Heavenly Father is the real thing.

“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (‘Ecclesiastes 3:11)

My heart longs for the real thing and will be satisfied with nothing less. God has made it clear there are no substitutes for Himself.

“I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say; My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

“I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God.” (Isaiah 45:3)

“It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.” (Isaiah 45:12)

there is no substitute for the real thing – I don’t want the artificial/man-made version of anything – I want the real thing – we all do and that’s what our Heavenly Father wants to give us – something real and lasting – a reconciled relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus, who said as much when He said –

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

I don’t fully trust AI – but then it’s not real – it’s artificial. It’s man made. I desire only what is real, what is eternal.

“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:2)

“O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

no artificial substitutes will do

sincerely, Grace Day

post Advent ponder

Posted on by Grace Day

Most everything is packed away by now. There are just a few vestiges of our recent Christmas celebration still evident in my home. There’s a stained glass wreath in a window and also a stained glass candy cane in another window. The candy cane will be replaced with a heart in that window. Time to get ready for the next holiday, right? Decorations that display the words “hope”, “peace”, and “joy” are still in my kitchen windowsill. They will get packed away too BUT – are those words really relegated to just one month of the year? I don’t know about you, but I desire peace and joy and hope every day, not just at Christmas.

The angel who announced Jesus’s birth brought good news of “great joy.” Additionally, the angel proclaimed, “on earth peace and goodwill to men.” Jesus’s birth brought great joy, peace and goodwill, and something else that all mankind had long been without – hope. Jesus’s birth brought hope to the world in the form of a Savior who would pay the price for our sin, offering us mercy and eternal life instead of what our sins deserve. Jesus’s birth brings me hope today, even in the midst of my current circumstances. I have hope because of His promise –

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

The gift of hope is a wonderful, life-giving gift that God gave to us when He sent us His Son. Jesus’s birth brought peace, joy and hope into a weary world, a world that was in dire need of all three. But not everyone was ready or willing to receive what Jesus was offering.

“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

Must be why today peace, joy and hope are still desperately desired, yet in seemingly short supply – as we continue to reject Jesus, the One whose very Presence brings these gifts of peace, joy and hope with Him, freely given to anyone who will receive Him.

I guess that’s why I still have these three words displayed in my windowsill. I need God’s peace, joy and hope in my life every day, not just at Christmas. Translation – I need my Heavenly Father’s presence abiding with me daily, not just during the season of Advent.

Advent was all about preparing room, preparing space, to let God’s Son have a dwelling place in my heart and in my life. Now that Advent is over, I don’t want to turn around and kick Him out of that space, and with Him the peace, joy and hope that I want in my life. Knowing myself as I do, I would end up replacing those things with lesser things that do not last and do not satisfy.

I think I’ll leave these words in my windowsill awhile longer to remind me that although Advent (the arrival of a very important person – Jesus) is over, the celebration ceased, the decorations packed away – Jesus is still here with me in the after party let down and so are His gifts of peace, joy and hope.

Perhaps that’s what this is all about – this post Advent ponder is just me experiencing post party syndrome. Packing away the last of my decorations makes it real. The celebration is officially over. No more presents to open, no more parties to attend, no more fun foods to eat. After all the busyness and hype of the Christmas season, the realities of everyday life return. BUT – Jesus is still here with me unless of course I choose to pack Him away too, along with my decorations, not giving Him another thought until next year.

However, I want His presence to be permanently with me. And God has promised that He will “never leave me nor forsake me.” I have this hope as I begin another new year – hope, one of God’s best gifts of Advent –

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:5)

God gave you and me the gift of hope when He sent us His Son, Jesus. You and I received the hope of forgiveness, the hope of reconciliation, the hope of eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Hope – best gift ever! Hang onto it!

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

sincerely, Grace Day

unfathomable faith

Posted on by Grace Day

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

One of the two criminals hanging on the crosses on either side of Jesus must have had that kind of faith (certain of what he did NOT see) because what he did see certainly wouldn’t have prompted him to say to the man hanging on the cross next to him these words –

“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

This would seem to be a ridiculous request given that the current circumstances of both men (all three men actually) were identical at the moment those words were uttered. Both the one asking the favor and the one to whom his request was addressed, appeared to be suffering the same fate. Their situation is described by Luke –

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him (Jesus) to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals – one on His right, the other on His left. . . . The people stood watching and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ ” (Luke 23:32-33)

These three men, each one nailed to a cross, were suffering a slow, agonizing death. There was no escape. If the man hanging on the cross next to Jesus was going to ask for help, why didn’t he appeal to one of the bystanders in the crowd, or better yet to one of the guards or to one of the rulers in charge. Any one of them was in a much better position to rescue him than the man nailed to the cross beside him.

In fact, to all appearances, the man next to him, who was Jesus, appeared to be powerless to alter His own fate, let alone anyone else’s. This unnamed criminal hanging next to Jesus heard the conversations surrounding them –

“The soldiers also came up and mocked Him (Jesus). They offered Him wine vinegar and said, ‘If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself.’ There was a written notice above Him, which read: This is the King of the Jews. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t You the Christ? Save Yourself and us!’ ” (Luke 23:36-39)

And yet, despite these seemingly irrevocable, dire circumstances, the other criminal said this –

“But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ ” (Luke 23:40-41)

How did he know this? This man hanging on the cross next to Jesus had bold, unreasonable faith. He had a faith that didn’t depend on his current circumstances or on what he could see. Instead, his faith was “sure of what he hoped for.” He believed Jesus was indeed God’s Messiah, who would reign over God’s eternal kingdom, and so he made his outrageous request of Jesus – that Jesus would “remember him” when Jesus “came into His kingdom.”

His simple request showed that this man on the cross next to Jesus had a bold, unexplainable faith in the person who hung on the cross next to him, who was none other than Jesus Himself, God’s gift to the world of a Savior. Otherwise, why would he say to the guy hanging on the cross beside him, a man obviously suffering the same fate that he was currently suffering, someone in the same predicament as he was in – someone with no apparent way of escape – why would he say to Him –

“Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”

unless he believed that Jesus was going to inherit an eternal kingdom and that Jesus had the power and the authority to grant him a place in this eternal paradise. Well, as it turns out, his bold faith was rewarded immediately with these words –

“Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.’ ” (Luke 23:43)

I think this unnamed man on the cross should have been included in Hebrews chapter 11, which names many people of great faith, such as Abraham and Noah and Joseph. Just as the criminal on the cross believed Jesus for a seemingly impossible outcome of his situation, so too, Abraham believed God for the seemingly impossible. Abraham was old and his wife, Sarah, was barren, unable to conceive and bear children. So they had remained childless their entire marriage. And yet, God said this to Abraham –

“Then the word of the Lord came to him: (Abraham) ‘This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.’ He took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ ” (Genesis 15:4-5)

What was childless Abraham’s response to God’s incredible promise to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars?

“Abraham believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

Abraham believed that God would make good on His promise even though he had no children at the time. (faith – “the evidence of things not yet seen.”) Noah had faith to obey God and build that very large boat despite the fact that it had never rained on the earth and he was landlocked. Noah’s obedient faith paid off. He and his family survived the great flood that covered all the earth because they took refuge in the ark God told him to build.

The criminal on the cross next to Jesus was no different. He had faith enough to ask the impossible of Jesus and faith enough to believe that Jesus would make good on His promise despite the apparent hopelessness of their shared current situation. I want faith like that – faith that believes God for the impossible every day of my life. Why? because God’s word says this about faith –

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

and because –

“We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

I want to have faith that dares to obey the Living God – faith like Daniel in the lion’s den, faith like his three friends in the king’s furnace, faith like Rahab defying the king and hiding the spies, faith that walks on water and soars on wings like eagles – obedient, courageous faith like the man hanging on the cross next to Jesus. Everyone there was mocking Jesus, taunting Him, ridiculing Him with scorn and derision. BUT – the criminal on the cross boldly called upon Jesus in faith to save him and he was not disappointed! He was rewarded with Jesus’s promise that he would be with Jesus that very day in paradise.

In this life, I too often find myself in tough, excruciatingly painful, scary, grievous, seemingly impossible and inescapable situations with no apparent way of escape or good outcome – much like the criminal on the cross next to Jesus. In my “hanging on my cross” moments, when I feel powerless, unable to change my circumstances or to rescue myself from the situation – I want to remember the bold, unfathomable faith of that man on the cross who knew he could do nothing to save himself, but believed that Jesus could rescue him from his otherwise certain sad ending.

And I have something in common with this man. He had Jesus right next to him. How fortunate for him! Well, dear readers, you and I have Jesus with us twenty-four/seven. How fortunate for us! Like the man on the cross, I can cry out to Jesus anytime and He will answer me. I just have to have faith bold enough to ask, faith trusting enough to believe that God will answer. After all, God promised in Jeremiah –

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

and the apostle Paul says this about God’s response to my bold faith requests –

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

“immeasurably more” – that’s God’s response to my bold faith cries for help – that’s His response to yours too, dear readers

sincerely, Grace Day

happy new year?

Posted on by Grace Day

Well, 2025 is drawing to a close even as I write these words. The old year is ending with or without my permission. Either way, time is moving forward whether or not I am ready to begin the new year. I don’t feel ready, perhaps because meeting the challenges of this past year leaves me at a disadvantage as I enter the new year. Does this describe you as well, dear reader? Do you feel drained and depleted, needing a respite and a refueling of your body or your mind or your spirit – or all three before embarking on the journey awaiting you in the coming year? I often identify with the apostle Paul’s description of life as he describes it in Corinthians like this –

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Those words describe how I feel too often – “hard pressed but not crushed”, . . . “struck down, but not destroyed.” Why? Why am I not crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed? Because I am never alone. My Heavenly Father is always with me, always watching over me. God was with Daniel in the lion’s den. He was with Daniel’s three friends when they were put into King Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace. God was with the Israelites while they wandered through the desert. He was the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day that protected and guided them on their journey. You and I have the promise of God’s presence too, just as they did –

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Those words are both comforting and encouraging to me as I enter into this new year – a year of unknowns and of uncertainty, a year of hopes and of dreams, a year that will most certainly contain both grief and joy, a year that I can face with courage rather than fear because there is Someone who walks with me through all of it.

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:2-8)

Even when I feel alone and overwhelmed with life’s circumstances, I can know that I am most certainly NOT alone. I am reminded of the story of Elisha and his servant –

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-17)

Did you catch that? There are more with you and with me than there are with the enemy of our souls who seeks to destroy us. My prayer for the new year? Lord, open my eyes to see – to see You – to see those who need to hear about You and how much You love them – to see that I am not alone but am surrounded by You and by those with You. I will take to heart these words in this new year –

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

I don’t know what lies ahead in 2026 for me BUT – I do know that I am ready to continue running the race marked out for me because I do not run alone and I do not face the future alone. My Heavenly Father is always with me through it all – lions’ dens, fires, floods, unmovable mountains and deep valleys – God is there with me. I have His word on that.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” (Psalm 139:7-12)

“But now, this is what the Lord says – . . . ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’ ” (Isaiah 43:1-2)

God’s presence abiding with me, brings me comfort and gives me much needed courage as I face whatever lies ahead. I need not fear the fires, the deep waters. any deserts, mountains or any other treacherous terrain that lies ahead of me in the new year. I am not promised an easy journey, but I am promised that my Redeemer will be with me every step of the way. And that’s more than enough for me. Jesus told His disciples –

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Knowing that God has the victory in my life and in yours too, dear readers, gives me the courage to keep walking forward in faith every day, knowing that in the end good overcomes evil, light overcomes darkness and love overcomes hate. When I am going through the trials of this life, which come unbidden and inevitably, when I am feeling “hard pressed on every side”, I remember these words –

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Isaiah 29:11)

I am entering this new year already bruised and battle weary from the past year. Maybe you are too? BUT – let these words remind us that we do not run this life race in vain nor do we run it alone.

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)

So, take heart! You and I are “more than conquerors” and nothing will separate us from God’s love given to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. I can enter into this new year with confidence and courage and hope and purpose because my Creator God, my Heavenly Father, walks with me (and with you, too) every step of the way as I follow where He leads.

so walk on into this new year with God, walk in faith with purpose, with perseverance and with joy!

sincerely, Grace Day

sometimes I forget

Posted on by Grace Day

Yes, it’s true. Sometimes I forget. I forget where I put my glasses. I forget where I put my car keys. Sometimes in a large parking lot, I forget where I parked my car. I might forget to answer an email or forget someone’s birthday. BUT – there are some things that I never want to forget as long as I live.

I was reminded of this last night at a church reenactment of the Christmas story – a story that I have heard for so many years and know so well – and yet, last night this story felt brand new all over again – a startling revelation of God’s love and a reminder of what extraordinary measures God took to make His love manifest to all mankind. How could I have forgotten such fantastic truths?

Christmas is so much more than a birthday celebration, so much more than an historical event remembered, so much more than just another holiday. Christmas is about a promise kept, prophesies fulfilled and miracles made known. The promise? God told satan in the garden –

“he (woman’s offspring) will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

God promised us, we who are “the sheep of His pasture”, you and I, who are created in His image -to us God promised to send a Rescuer, a Redeemer, a Savior, a Deliverer, a Shepherd, a Sacrificial Lamb. Jesus is all of those things and more. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” (John 14:6)

God’s promise to mankind became reality on the night Jesus was born. That night, the prophesies were fulfilled which said –

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Then there was the testimony of a man described in Luke like this –

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:25-26)

When Simeon encountered the baby Jesus in the temple courts, this is what happened –

“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ‘Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.’ ” (Luke 2:28-32)

Simeon recognized God’s gift to the world of His only Son, the Savior He promised so long ago. Simeon recognized the miracle that had taken place –

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Truly Christmas is about miracles from start to finish – the miracle of God’s love for you and for me being so great that He would give His own Son to die in my place and in your place, so that we might have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)

I am overwhelmed with the miracle of the Christmas story – that God would choose to take on our humanity and walk miles in our human shoes before dying on a cross for our sins so that we could be made right with God. Who else would do such a thing? What Jesus did for me and for you and for all humanity is described in these words –

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)

I don’t ever want to forget the miracle that is the Christmas story. It’s a story that starts with the miracle of a manger filled with God’s presence. The story ends with an empty tomb because the grave cannot contain God’s presence. I don’t want to forget any detail of the Christmas story because it is a story of redemption, forgiveness, hope, second chances, limitless love and eternal life. I need all of those things.

Today I am celebrating the Christmas story, remembering the words the angel said to the shepherds –

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

Don’t live in fear! There is good news, which brings great joy, and it’s for everybody! No one is left out.

the Savior is here! prepare to receive Him!

sincerely, Grace Day

the night before Christmas

Posted on by Grace Day

There have been a lot of them – “nights before Christmas” – two thousand twenty-four such nights to be exact, since the original night when Jesus was born. Today, in many cultures, this night before Christmas, Christmas Eve, is considered sacred. It is observed in different ways around the world. One of the better-known descriptions of Christmas Eve is found in Clement Moore’s poem – “Twas the Night Before Christmas” which begins like this-

“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.”

Sounds pretty quiet (“not a creature was stirring”) – sounds like they were prepared for the guest they were expecting (“the stockings were hung”) – sounds like they were ready to receive their anticipated guest, Santa, whenever he arrived. However, what it doesn’t sound like or describe is the first Christmas Eve when Jesus was born. That first Christmas Eve, no one was prepared, no one was even keeping watch, and it was anything but quiet. A better description of that first Christmas Eve might be-

Twas the night of the arrival of the long-awaited King, but no one watched or waited, none expected such a thing

Even though all the prophets had predicted the Messiah’s arrival, people grew weary in the waiting, focused solely on survival

because life was hard for everyone, as slaves they were greatly oppressed- they were waiting for a warrior, a baby they never would have guessed

would be the One to set them free, to deliver them from their plight – not a soldier, but a Savior, God gave the world that night.

He was born in a stable since all the inns were filled, but not a one took notice, except the angels who were thrilled –

the angels proclaimed to the shepherds this miracle of Jesus’s birth, then the shepherds hurried to worship Him, God’s gift to all on earth.

A brilliant star arose over the place where Jesus lay, guiding shepherds and the wise men on their journey’s way –

“Peace on earth, good will to men”, the angels all proclaimed – as they left, the shepherds heard their glad refrain – the world would never be the same –

Immanuel! Immanuel! God has come with us to dwell!

Peace on earth, good will to men. God’s forgiveness breaks the power of sin!

Immanuel! Immanuel! God has come with us to dwell!

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’ ” (Matthew 1:23)

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ ” (Luke 2:10-12)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Praise God for the gift of His Son!

sincerely, Grace Day

whose birthday is it, anyway?

Posted on by Grace Day

Did you ever go to a birthday party and not know whose birthday you were celebrating? That could be embarrassing, right? If you’re invited to the party, the assumption is that you know and have some kind of a relationship with the person whose birthday is being celebrated. You might be a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, a classmate – but you are connected to the guest of honor in some way, or you wouldn’t have received an invitation to the party.

Currently, preparations are underway all around the world for Christmas. Christmas is a birthday party with the largest guest list ever, because every single person receives an invite to the birthday party of the Christ child, Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate every December 25th. Many accept the invitation, many attend the party, many participate in some or all of the festive activities, decorating with dazzling lights, exchanging gifts, eating the food, baking the cookies, singing the songs of the season about the person they have come to celebrate, BUT – many do all these things without ever encountering the party’s guest of honor. Many never meet the person who is being celebrated at Christmas, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.

Can you imagine showing up for a friend’s birthday party, bringing them a gift, playing all the games, eating all the good food served, singing Happy Birthday to the person you have come to celebrate, eating the cake, and yet – you never actually come face to face with your friend, whose party it is? You don’t have a conversation with them, you don’t give them a hug or even wish them a Happy Birthday. You simply enjoy the fun activities of their party and the food and then you leave. Unimaginable, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe that anyone would be so near to the guest of honor and yet miss out on spending time with the friend they came to celebrate.

However, this is all too common with the birthday celebration that is Christmas. Christmas literally means – “Christ’s mass” or “Christ’s party.” Yet it is all too easy for guests to attend the party but never meet the guest of honor. Part of the problem might be the confusion over just who it is that we are celebrating at Christmas. (even though the name of the holiday contains the name of the person whose birth we are celebrating)

Nonetheless, Santa is often mistaken for the birthday boy. And why not? Santa seems to be everywhere I look during the month of December – either him or one of his many look a like imposters. Santa’s picture is prevalent as are Santa figurines, holiday clothes that bear Santa’s image and Santa lawn decorations. If aliens came to earth, I can’t help but think that they would conclude this month-long party is all about Santa Claus. Who could fault them for this error? It would be easy for anyone to infer that Santa must be the center of our celebration based on what they observe.

And one could argue that we spend more time preparing for Santa’s arrival than we do preparing to celebrate Jesus’s arrival and to receive Him. For Santa, we prepare a tasty treat or two and leave it along with a beverage and possibly some treats for Santa’s reindeer, next to the fireplace. We clean the chimney, light up the roof so Santa can find it more easily, hang up stockings for Santa to fill, and we make room under the tree for all the gifts we expect Santa to bring with him. We make room for Santa and invite him in. Children write him letters and seek him out at the mall for an audience of one, so they can make their requests known to him.

Not so with Jesus. Is anyone getting ready to receive Him? Is anyone preparing the way for Jesus to enter in? Is anyone making room? Or is there still today “no room at the inn” for the person whose birthday we are supposedly celebrating. It seems that in our culture at least, we throw the party, and it’s a party full of bright lights, fabulous food, lots of music and extravagant gift giving BUT – we forget to invite the guest of honor. We don’t make any room for Jesus (I guess all the Santas have filled every space) We have “Christmas parties” and Christ Himself isn’t even invited! These words never rang more true-

“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

Too bad, because Jesus is a far better gift giver than Santa Claus.

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)

Santa brings with him toys, toys that eventually break or lose their allure and are discarded. What were the people in Jesus’s day receiving from Jesus?

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5)

Wow! And that’s not a complete list by any means. God’s gift of forgiveness of my sins and His gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus, is the greatest gift I will ever receive. God’s gift to you and to me and to the world, Jesus, is the reason we throw this huge party called Christmas every year.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The good news of Jesus’s birth is definitely worth celebrating – our Messiah, our Savior King has come! The party is planned, the invitations are issued. The only question is – has the guest of honor, the One whose birthday we celebrate been invited to His own party? Have we made room to receive Him? Have we cleared the way (or our calendars) so that Christ can enter into our lives as we celebrate His birth?

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

Make way! Make room! The King is coming! Let Him in!

sincerely, Grace Day

actually, it’s always Advent

Posted on by Grace Day

Advent – “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” I know we call this particular season or month of the year “Advent”, I guess because we are preparing to celebrate an Advent or event that happened more than two-thousand years ago – the arrival of God’s promised Messiah, Jesus. Jesus’s birth certainly fits the definition of “the arrival of a notable person” and His birth is also the most “notable event” in human history. Must be why we continue to remember and to celebrate Jesus’s birthday or Jesus’s Advent every year for the past two-thousand twenty-five years.

BUT – it occurs to me that we (humankind) have been in a state of preparing for Jesus’s Advent almost since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve weren’t long in that perfect garden before they decided to doubt God and believe the serpent instead, taking the serpent’s advice to eat some fruit from the forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The result of their doubt and disobedience? Their sin separated them from their holy Creator and they were put out of the garden. The curse of sin and death entered into our no longer peaceful nor perfect human experience. We have been in need of a Savior ever since the serpent succeeded in getting Eve to disobey God. But even as Adam and Eve were receiving God’s punishment, His words to them contained hope for the future of mankind. God’s curse contained a promise. In Genesis we read –

“So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, . . . I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

God promised that a particular offspring of a woman, “He”, would crush the serpent’s head even though the serpent would strike the rescuer’s heel. The latter would not be fatal, but the first would be, putting an eventual end to the power of sin and death.

“He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all the faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8)

“Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? . . . thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

The One born of a woman, Jesus, would have the final victory. Hope was present even in their darkest hour, the hour when they were banished from God’s good garden. They were banished, yes – BUT with God’s promise that a Savior would be sent to them to redeem what had been lost – themselves – their eternal souls. God’s redemptive plan was already in place –

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21)

Did you catch that? Christ had already been “chosen before the creation of the world” – God knew we would need a Redeemer. So the anticipation of Advent really started when we were evicted from the perfect paradise of God’s Garden. Mankind lived in anticipation of the Advent of Christ’s arrival from that moment on until His birth in Bethlehem some four-thousand years later.

But Advent isn’t over. We are still waiting for another Advent. We continue to live in anticipation of Christ’s second Advent, when He comes again to set all things right. Jesus’s second Advent is promised to you and to me in Acts where we read this account –

“Jesus said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After He (Jesus) said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’ ” (Acts 1:7-11)

So the second Advent of Christ on earth is going to look very different from His first Advent’s appearance on earth. Jesus came first as a helpless baby in a manger. He will return as a conquering hero. We are told –

“So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. But in those days, following that distress, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” (Mark 13:23-27)

That Advent will be impossible to miss! In the meantime, until His second coming occurs – it’s always Advent. We are preparing again for the arrival of this notable person, Jesus, – preparing for this once in a lifetime event. Or at least we should be. We don’t want to be caught unaware – our instructions are clear in this regard –

“Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back -whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” (Mark 13:33-37)

Good advice for me and for you – keep watch and wait – prepare and anticipate. These actions define and describe Advent well, I think. And we each have an assigned task! There is plenty to do in this Advent season of celebrating our Savior’s birth while simultaneously preparing to receive Him when He returns to earth to claim His bride, which is you and I and all who have longed for His appearing. And we are not alone in our longing and in our eager anticipation. No –

“The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. . . . in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:19-23)

No wonder the anticipation of Advent is so great. We have been waiting long for the return of our Savior, just as those before us waited long for the birth of their promised Messiah, ever since their eviction from God’s garden paradise. Truly, it is always Advent. BUT – that is good news! With God’s promise ever before us, there is always something to hope for – the return of our Savior bringing redemption, restoration and eternal life. I definitely want to be ready to welcome and to receive Him when He comes again. After all, that’s the purpose of Advent – anticipation and preparation.

Join me at the watch party that is Advent. Together we can prepare for our Lord’s return.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

The King is coming! Make way! Make room! Prepare to let Him in!

sincerely, Grace Day