[RE]FOCUS Day 10
Week 2: Reflecting
Day 3: The Long-Awaited One – Mary & Joseph’s visitation
By Allison Carr
READ:
I think it’s fair to say that waiting is hard. No one particularly likes to wait for anything. We live in a time of instant gratification with virtually anything within our grasp with the simple click of a button. I’ll admit, I don’t like waiting and can certainly be inpatient. But, as a new mom myself, this last year has been one of waiting and anticipation. Nine months of waiting to be exact, from the time my husband and I knew we had a little one on the way until his entrance into this world! However, our waiting felt even longer than that as we waited, not always patiently, for God’s perfect timing in our five years of marriage before welcoming our little miracle. But, waiting for the birth of a child is simultaneously the slowest and fastest experience.
The book of Isaiah is filled with prophecies about the long-awaited one as we read in chapter 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Our Savior, God incarnate would come to earth and be born of a virgin! Talk about anticipation!
It was a few hundred years before these words, that promise would come to fruition. As new parents, Mary and Joseph lived in anticipation for months after the Angel Garbriel visited them, sharing the news of fulfillment, the words written by the prophet Isaiah come to life as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. The gift of life is a miracle, but they waited for something bigger than themselves, bigger than all of us. They were waiting for the Savior!
There is nothing like holding your child for the first time, and I can only imagine the heightened anticipation Mary felt as she held Jesus, our Immanuael, in her arms. As the chosen one, she was not only looking into the face of her son, but also her Savior! As our children grow, the anticipation and waiting doesn’t go away, but simply changes as one milestone leads to another.
As we refocus our hearts and our minds, there are always things we are anticipating and waiting for. But, fortunately for us, the long-awaited has come! We serve a God who keeps his promises and whose Spirit is here living among us and within us, as we wait once again for His return and to be reunited with Him in His Kingdom.
PRAY:
Father, You sent the Son to reflect Your love and promises given so long ago. Jesus, You came in faithfulness, truth, and humility to lift us from darkness, despair, and death. Spirit, You revealed the powerful love and truth to those who needed it the most when Jesus came. God, keep sending, coming, and revealing who You are and what You do as we anticipate Your return. Amen.
LIVE:
What helps you endure a long wait? How can this instruct your heart as you wait for Jesus’ return?