“Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Let earth receive her king!” (so go the words to a familiar Christmas carol) Only they didn’t receive their king – they didn’t even recognize their king when He came to earth. The people failed to give their king a warm reception when He made His first appearance here, and we still struggle with receiving Him to this day.

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:10-11)

“let every heart prepare Him room” – the song continues. Is that why they didn’t receive their king? their long-awaited Deliverer? their promised Messiah? because they weren’t ready for His coming, because they hadn’t made any room for Him, because they hadn’t prepared a place for Him in their homes, in their hearts, or in their lives? I guess they were too busy with their daily, mundane lives to make a little room to receive the Redeemer they claimed to be longing for, even though they had made no preparations for His arrival.

Today, as I turn my calendar, I discover that December has arrived and I realize it is time for me to make room to receive my Redeemer all over again. Didn’t I just do this eleven short months ago? How has my life become so full of clutter in such a short time? What all have I let creep back in that I had once cleaned out in order to make room for my coming King? I ponder this point as I put away my pumpkins in order to make room for Santas and snowmen and stockings and reindeer and such. (no wonder there’s no room for Jesus) I am simply replacing one set of clutter with another.

I want to have clarity. That’s why I need to clear away the accumulated clutter in my life. In order to see things more clearly, I need to clear away all those things that steal my focus and obscure my vision, preventing me from seeing what or who truly matters.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) Kind of hard to do if I am surrounded by mountains of my own making, mountains that block my view, thereby robbing me of my vision.

“Let every heart prepare Him room!” That’s what this month of Advent is all about for me. As I am preparing my home, I want also to be preparing my heart to receive God’s gift to me – His only Son. I don’t want my life to be so busy and so cluttered that I don’t have the time or the room to invite Jesus in so that He can abide with me. That’s why He came, after all, to make His home with us.

“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)

That’s what Advent calls me to remember and to celebrate – that God kept His promise and sent you and me a Savior – and that Savior is His One and Only Son, Jesus. Jesus came and the world has never been the same since. He brought His light into our darkness and His light will not be extinguished.

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5)

“Let every heart prepare Him room!” I want to be ready when He comes. To that end I will pray the prayer King David prayed so long ago –

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10-12)

Advent is the anticipation of and the preparation for the arrival of the King. The promise has been given and now it will be fulfilled. Hope and joy accompany this long-awaited event. But I have work to do if I am to be ready – the time is drawing near!

“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)

sincerely, Grace Day