Is it Christmas yet?

Is it Christmas yet?

Christmas is the season of waiting. You wait for the day, Christmas, to come. You wait in long lines to buy gifts. And if you shop online, you wait each day for the UPS driver to drop something at the front door, all the while trying intercepting it before someone sees the box. And this is just for the gifts you bought for yourself. I think I might be talking about myself here. Needless to say, I hate to wait!

Life often involves waiting, even waiting on God. The practice of prayer often requires a fair amount waiting and patience. Come to think about it, Advent is all about waiting with expectation and hope. The Christmas season turns out to be a wonderful time in fact to explore what it means to wait, because we find ourselves in a posture of waiting as Christmas draws near. 

Often times the practice of prayer and the expectation of Advent get lost in all the trappings of the Christmas season: selecting that perfect gift, giving that gift they never expected, parties, more parties, family gatherings whether you like them or not. Did I mention how I hate to wait?

There are many people waiting in the narratives written about Jesus’ birth in the Bible: Mary and Joseph are the most obvious two, then the shepherd’s, and the Magi last. That’s the end of the story isn’t it? It’s only then, when one reads a bit farther we’re blessed by two obscure figures in Luke’s gospel named Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:22-38 CEB). Luke talks about how Simeon was “righteous and devout… eagerly anticipat[ing] the restoration of Israel” (25). Anna is described as “never [having] left the temple, but worshipped God with fasting and prayer night and day” (37).

Theirs was a spirit of prayerfully waiting patiently. I’m not talking about waiting in a checkout line on Black Friday, but faithfully, over a long period of time, waiting for God to fulfill his promise of sending a Messiah that would redeem Israel—Jesus Christ. God’s plan moves at its own pace and Simeon and Anna exemplify the disciple of prayer.

It’s easy to get frustrated with waiting and give up by doubting God and his goodness. It takes being committed to God’s promise no matter how long the wait. Heidelberg Q&A 117 says it best. “We must rest on this unshakable foundation: even though we do not deserve it, God will surely listen to our prayer because of Christ our Lord. That is what God promises us in his Word.”

God honors persistent prayer and when God is ready to act those who stay in prayer will be the first to recognize and receive his amazing gift.

Think about this:

Imagine what it must have been like for Simeon and Anna to meet Jesus?

What are some situations you are prayerfully waiting for?