Hello SoulfulMOTION Family!
I hope the first week of December has been kind to you. It’s the last month of a very tough year, and I’m glad that December is here. I absolutely love December for the many Christmas traditions and decorating that takes place around my home. But my absolute, all time favorite thing about December is the Advent Season.
If you are unfamiliar with Advent, Advent can have different meanings and traditions depending on your religion, culture, or your own family traditions. However, for me, Advent is a season or a time of waiting, expectation, and preparation for the coming of Christ. Advent, actually means “coming” in Latin. It is a time when I do my best to quiet my heart and mind from the noise, distractions, and business of the world so that my thoughts and actions are solely committed to worship, and giving thanks to God for our savior. It is truly a special time for me.
As I think about how amazing the Christmas story is, it is one that my worldly mind cannot fathom. First, there are over 40 old testament prophecies that point toward the coming of Christ. There are also over 40 authors of the old testament, that spanned over writing these books for 1,500 years. This blows my mind.
I also admire Mary’s faith. Imagine: Being a teenager, an angel visiting you, telling you that you’re going to be pregnant with the Messiah through the Holy Spirit. Teenage Amber would have had ALL the questions…I still question God at times because I’m human. Mary simply asked, “How can this happen? I am a virgin.” There are so many incredible miracles laced through the story of Jesus’ birth, woven so intricately and intentionally. God’s power overwhelms me just thinking about how he can intertwine people, events, 40+ generations, over many years and years. This is truly the waiting, the expectation, the preparation, for the coming of Jesus Christ. It’s Advent.
If God can perform all of those miracles to bring about the coming of our Savior…
why do we often question what God can do for us, and in our lives?
In my heart, I truly believe that the answer lies in our faith.
As I read back, Mary’s response to the angel was, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38) Mary accepted what the Lord had planned for her life, and expected to carry out God’s will. Therefore, God could perform those miracles in her life.
This season, many of us are dealing with unexpected or unexplained grief, pain, loss, depression, anxiety, feelings of being overwhelmed, illness, fear, uncertainty, etc. 2020 has been a year for the history books for many reasons. However, the God that we serve is the same God who performed the countless miracles that brought us the ultimate Gift. A Gift that NEVER leaves us, nor forsakes us. A gift of eternal life through his son Jesus Christ! There’s no better Christmas gift I’d rather receive! God didn’t make this gift hard to receive either.
If you are someone reading this right now, and you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, I want to extend this gift to you. Wherever you are, stop what you’re doing, and pray this prayer out loud:
“Dear God, I want to be a part of your family. You said in Your Word that if I acknowledge that You raised Jesus from the dead, and that I accept Him as my Lord and Savior, I would be saved. So God, I now say that I believe You raised Jesus from the dead and that He is alive and well. I accept Him now as my personal Lord and Savior. I accept my salvation from sin right now.
I am now saved. Jesus is my Lord. Jesus is my Savior. Thank you, Father God, for forgiving me, saving me, and giving me eternal life with You. Amen!”
Congratulations! You’ve accepted the gift of Christ! Thee best gift you could have gotten for Christmas this year! Now, it’s up to you to grow in your knowledge of Christ, build your relationship with Christ, build your prayer life, and learn more through God’s word. We are here to support you! Please email us at soulfulmotion@gmail.com with your questions!
Now, it’s time for us all to move forward, with the expectation and preparation of God to perform miracles in our lives, just as He did with Mary. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think. However, we must activate our faith to do so! It is my prayer that you will celebrate the amazing miracle of Christ’s birth this advent season, and also find ways that this story can change your perspective in life. Find God’s peace each day leading up to our celebration of Christmas, and allow God to work miracles through your faith.
I wish you all the best as we close out 2020. Oh, and as I saw in a recent meme…don’t forget to yell “JUMANJI!” on January 1st, 2021 at 12:00am instead of “HAPPY NEW YEAR”…so we can get out of this madness!!
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Amber
