Prepare Your Heart for AdventSample

God’s gift of patience!

by Rev. Patrick Feldhus

What are you looking forward to receiving? The child inside each of us is eagerly waiting for presents under the tree. The child in each of us is looking forward to ripping the wrapping paper to see what it was hiding. However, the weeks leading up to Christmas will test our patience, especially if someone puts a present under the tree long before Christmas Eve.

In the same way, we are eagerly waiting for Jesus to return. Advent is the time when we wait patiently for the Lord to return, just as Israel waited patiently for Jesus to come the first time as the child of Bethlehem. Jesus is revealed to us, and he will return. Unfortunately, we do not know on what day he will return. So, we wait patiently!

How in the world can we wait patiently for the gift of eternal life in the new heavens and Earth? We do not lack anything as we wait. God gave us the gift of patience because there are things he wants us to do as we wait patiently for the Lord to return. God wants us to be patient as he is patient. His patience bought us time to spread the good news of forgiveness and life in Christ! We ought to be thankful for the gift of patience or we might never have heard the good news for ourselves.

Make use of this time of waiting to tell a family member, a neighbor, or someone you work with that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

God gave us the gift of patience to see opportunities to bring more people into his kingdom. God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. He wants all people to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. You are carriers of the truth until Jesus returns.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the gift of patience as we wait for Jesus to return in all his glory. Help us to proclaim the good news of forgiveness and eternal life in Christ to those who fear his return. Let them see your loving heart. In Jesus’ name, we pray! Amen.