Anticipation…

“For the time is coming,”
    says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
    from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.

Jeremiah 23:5

 As a people group, we sometimes anticipate together. In 1969, America, indeed the whole world, anticipated Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.

Anonymous

As we begin December, our thoughts turn towards Christmas.  There is a sense of anticipation; one of the definitions of “anticipation” is expectation or hope.  Indeed, regardless of whether you are a Christian or not, almost everyone has hope during the holiday season.  Hope that family and friends will be able to gather, hope for delicious winter comfort foods, hope for finding the perfect gift for a loved one, and so much more.  So this week, we’ll look at anticipation both from a personal and Biblical perspective.

When we look back at the Old Testament Scripture, we see that Israel, the Jewish people of God, often endured hard times through their history.  Their faith in God sustained them in difficult circumstances, and they often remembered how God had intervened throughout history to miraculously rescue them.  As a people, they looked to the time when God would return in person and rescue them permanently.   This anticipation is woven throughout the Old Testament with many prophets sharing the word of God to prophecy the coming of Messiah.

We all have anticipation for hoped for major events in our lives.  Whether weddings, birth of a child, a job or move, or simply time with loved ones.  What are you anticipating this Christmas?