James Duff December 11th 2016 ~ Advent... the waiting season...

“Slow down you move too fast, you’ve got to make the morning last you.”I find these words from Simon and Garfunkel’s song “Groovy” more and more applicable to my life, especially around Christmas time.The Christian calendar tells us that we are in the Advent season, the waiting season.  We are told to wait patiently and not to get ourselves worried and upset about the many things going on.  It’s easy to get busy and stressed when we don’t know what the main thing is to do.  While Jesus was at Mary and Martha’s house, he rebuked Martha for being too busy, saying, “Martha, Martha. . .  you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).  What did Mary choose?  She chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen.I need - we all need - to sit and listen at the feet of Jesus.  You might be at church today and have your mind full of things that need to be done, relatives that you have to deal with, Christmas presents to be bought, work break ups to attend and of course food to buy. STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! Those aren’t bad things to think about and God knows you have to do them but they are not the better thing.  The best thing we can do now is to exercise the spiritual gift of self-discipline and wait.  Stop and prepare to hear from God.  Prepare and wait patiently for Jesus to speak to you today.  Come and sit at his feet and tell him you are waiting.  He knows your voice and you know his (John 10:14). God’s faithful people were waiting for hundreds of years for the Messiah to come to rule with justice and mercy.  Simeon and the prophetess Anna waited patiently with great expectation their whole life for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 2).  Advent, this waiting period, causes us to stop and focus on Jesus.  Carols will be sung, relatives will be seen, presents will be wrapped, food will be eaten this season.  They are all good things but they are not the one thing that will bring you, me, the world what we need to hear and know this Christmas.  This can only be known when we stop and sit at the feet of Jesus and wait to hear the good news that caused a myriad of angels to sing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all people on whom his favour rests” (Luke 2:14).  I guarantee that, if you stop and listen to Jesus this Christmas, he will show his glory, his wonder, and his love for you as his dear child.I heard a better song than the one I mentioned earlier; you may know it:“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face and the things of the world will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”May Jesus bring you peace and may his favour rest on you right now and for the remainder of this Advent season. Blessings,James