Anticipation
There is a light
Bright star shining
In the dark night
Old tales come true
All of our fears
Hopes and prayers
He has heard
And answered us
The light came down
Cast the darkness away
He appeared
A helpless child
The light of God came down
— Josh Garrels
— Ben Ebner
In our house, we have a tradition — no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. This tradition is rooted in two reasons.
The first is practical. If we start playing Christmas music in September, we’ll likely be tired of it long before December 25.
The second reason, while less practical, carries much deeper significance.
Anticipation
For centuries, the followers of Yahweh lived in anticipation — waiting, watching, and longing for the promised Messiah. He was the one who would set things right, make a way back to God, and finally break the power of sin and death.
Their anticipation was filled with a mixture of longing and hope, doubt and confidence. When will He come? How long must we wait? When will the light come down and cast the darkness away?
Anticipation is at the heart of the Advent season. This time of year reminds us to wait in hope, just as they did, because in many ways, we are still waiting. We await our Messiah’s second advent when He will return to earth and establish His eternal reign of righteousness.
Isaac Watts captured this hopeful anticipation when he wrote:
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love.
At this time of year, Frontline teams around the world have many opportunities to share the Good News — the message that the Messiah has come and will come again.
These opportunities sometimes take place in homes, where Christmas cookies and tea lead to conversation and questions. Other times, evangelistic children’s camps bring dozens of kids together for games and activities, creating a venue to share the story of Jesus. And sometimes, sharing the Gospel means leaving a bustling capital city to travel deep into the mountains — visiting villages where people have never had the chance to hear this Good News.
The Frontline team member who leads this ministry in remote mountain villages shared:
Many children hear for the first time at Christmas that someone loves them, for their sake came to earth, and brought the greatest gift — salvation.
Would you pray with us during this Advent and Christmas season? We long for more men and women, boys and girls, to know Jesus, and we eagerly anticipate all He will accomplish.
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