Advent

It is Advent season, it has finally arrived. I wait every year with such anticipation for this time of year and it seems that every year I plan on really understanding the meaning of Christmas and every year it hurries by and I seem to have forgotten to take the time to sit and be still and know that he is God. I want to share what has touched me this morning from the little book called, "The Dawning of Indestructible Joy" by John Piper. I am praying for the fullness of Christ this Advent season.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth...For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
John 1:14-16

Reasons why we can experience the "fullness of Christ":

~the one from whose fullness I am being drenched with grace is the Word that was with God and was God (John 1:1-2), so that his fullness is the fullness of God--a divine fullness, an infinite fullness;
~this Word became flesh and so was one of us and was pursuing us with his fullness--so it is an accessible fullness;
~when this Word appeared in human form, his glory was seen--his is a glorious fullness;
~this Word was "the only Son from the Father" so that the divine fullness was being mediated to me not just from God but through God--God did not send an angel but his only Son to deliver his fullness;
~the fullness of the Son is a fullness of grace--I will not drown in this fullness but be blessed in every way by this fullness;
~this fullness is not only a fullness of grace but also of truth--I am not being graced with truth-ignoring flattery; this grace is rooted in rock-solid reality.

I am praying that I will experience Christ's fullness, not just know about it. I feel a little ADD, I don't like to sit still and be quiet, when I sit still, I think of a million things I should be doing, but this Advent season I am choosing to give myself time and quietness to seek the fullness of Christ. If I am busy running around I will never experience this fullness, it takes time, it takes time meditating on his Word, pondering truth, and contemplating these things as Mary did in her heart. My prayer this season is Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19, "that I may be filled with all the fullness of God"--that I may have power "to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge."

I want to be intentional this season and take time to see Christ, to see the reason for this season that is such a happy time. I want to soak in this indestructible joy that the world cannot give, only Jesus can give this kind of joy!