A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5)
This second Sunday of Advent is about peace. We pause to remember who God is and what He has done for us. When our lives are hurried, we only have the chance to focus on our to-do lists. Making space in our schedules for prayer and meditation helps us to better see God at work in our lives and in our world.
Let us take the time to read, pray, and reflect on the hope God’s plan gives us (foretold by the prophets and fulfilled by the life and death of Christ). As we do this, we meditate on the promise of Christ’s second coming.
As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ arrival as a gift to all humanity, let’s stir up in our hearts and homes a sense of anticipation. May God’s spirit transform the days leading up to Christmas into a time of holy anticipation; preparing our hearts, as we faithfully await the chance to celebrate the arrival of our king.
During this second week of Advent, we have been given the chance to reflect on the ways prophecy has been fulfilled and to ponder what the future (promised to us through prophecies) will bring.
Prayer:
Father, prepare our hearts to celebrate your birth! We thank you for faithfully doing what you promised long ago when you sent your Son to earth so that we might have the chance to become part of your family. Let the promise of your second coming inspire us to live with hope and receive Your peace.
“Hills of the North, rejoice: Rivers and mountain-spring, Hark to the advent voice! Valley and lowland, sing!” —Charles Edward Oakley, hymnist