Advent - God Knows What He's AboutSample

The Trouble with Advent  

The question the magi asked King Herod must have been very unsettling for him. His whole life was based on the presumption that the correct answer for him to make to their question was, “me”. The idea that someone else had a claim on his position and property must have been troubling, indeed. Adding to this that his new rival’s status had been confirmed in the heavens would add an element of doom to his concerns. 

The fate of Herod is the fate of any usurper. You have to live in constant fear that the real owner will someday come back for what is his. 

The coming of advent should trouble us also. We’re usurpers, too. Many of us have based our lives on the proposition that we are the masters of our own future. God’s job is to help us when we pray to him. Everything in our homes and bank accounts belongs to us. If we are so inclined, we may share as much as 10% with God. 

The coming King is king over us, just as much as He was over Herod. The heavens daily proclaim His majesty and He demands our obedience. It is no wonder that many major movements of the Spirit are not associated with shouts of joy but with tears of repentance. When the Lord comes, He establishes His authority. Anyone who seeks to hold His authority for themselves will be brought low. 

As we prepare for Christmas this year, make room for your King. Surrender all your prerogatives and possessions to Him. Repent of your self-rule and surrender to His. Then, like the magi, you can gather your gifts and come to worship Him, trouble free. 

Larry Locke
Associate Professor, McLane College of Business, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor