Longing For God to Break In

Day 1 Longing for God to Break In Isaiah 64:1-9 MSG 1-7 Oh, that you would rip open the heavens and descend, make the mountains shudder at your presence— As when a forest catches fire, as when fire makes a pot to boil— To shock your enemies into facing you, make the nations shake in their boots! You did terrible things we never expected, descended and made the mountains shudder at your presence. Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him. You meet those who happily do what is right, who keep a good memory of the way you work. But how angry you’ve been with us! We’ve sinned and kept at it so long! Is there any hope for us? Can we be saved? We’re all sin-infected, sin-contaminated. Our best efforts are grease-stained rags. We dry up like autumn leaves— sin-dried, we’re blown off by the wind. No one prays to you or makes the effort to reach out to you Because you’ve turned away from us, left us to stew in our sins. 8-12 Still, GOD, you are our Father. We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us. Don’t be too angry with us, O GOD. Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing. Keep in mind, please, we are your people—all of us   As Advent begins, the slow wait for Christmas begins. Or maybe you’re one of those who starts counting down the days to Christmas starting in October! Maybe it’s because of the planning and the creative budgeting for all the gifts, or maybe it’s because the season holds a certain hopefulness that you are longing for deeply right now. I don’t wanna wait!! You just want to curl up on the couch for a great nap or a cheesy, predictable, happy-ending movie or to watch the Cowboys almost look decent. But there’s this nagging weight on your heart with all that is happening in the world, in your family, in your head (that won’t stop spinning). The thought of Christmas is challenging. It carries with it a symbol of plenty, of being enough, of expectations that maybe, just maybe, the world could be a little more loving, a little more forgiving. All this potential, all this good, and all in a bed of chaos and turmoil. That, friends, is why we need Advent -- to help us wait, to help us with the longing. I know for me, the season of Advent has me watching and waiting for reality to be a little less real, a little less terrible. It has me longing for glimpses of light that seem holy and ordained. But sometimes, y’all, to be honest, the days are so dark I can only feel my way along the path. That’s when I have to remember the discipline of hope that we find in the season of Advent. Advent demands an exploration of self and soul that leads us to live in hopeful anticipation – especially during a season of suffering and fear and uncertainty. In Isaiah 64, we hear the author proclaiming God’s unparalleled, unmatched awesomesauce (that’s a fancy theological term… feel free to use it). The author, like many of us, just wants God to show up, to tear open the heavens and come down. The phrase reminds us of how closely God journeyed with the Israelites in Exodus, and it helps us recall Jesus’ baptism when the voice from heaven said that Jesus was beloved and that God was well pleased with him – something we ALL long to hear. Pastor and theologian, Eugene Peterson, notes that “the story of Israel’s faith is that God came to the people in their need, he arranged their salvation and led them into his love. It wasn’t what they asked for, but it was better than they had asked for. If we have faith in God’s willingness to act on our behalf, [it becomes] possible to wait for him to act. And the waiting isn’t a waiting of anxiety but a waiting of anticipation. It’s based on the certainty that God is coming.” Thankfully we know the story is leading to Jesus, but the question is, do we let that knowing, the cognitive details, move into the mysterious assurance of faith. Do we let the heart’s longings speak louder than the world’s noisy distractions? Faith, even with all the longing, can say, “Still, God, you are our Father.” Faith leads us to be molded even if we don’t know the final outcome. Faith hopes because we know we are God’s people. As we long for God to break in, wait faithfully. Reflect: Author, Kate Bowler, once said, “Advent recognizes the absence of peace, yet the exquisite certainty of its coming.” Do you feel these seemingly diametrically opposing forces in your life these days? Read Charles Wesley’s 1744 poetry in the hymn, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus (UMH #196). Try not to just sing it and really capture the words (I know…it’s hard). This Advent, will you pray for release, will you pray to find your rest in Jesus? Watch for and name 10 awesomesauce God-moments in your week. Prayer: God of hope, even when it feels we are lost to the darkness of our iniquities, your love bursts through with a light that warms and conquers. During the days and moments of longing, may we remember, in faith, that you are hope, that we are not alone and that your unending presence, Father, will push back the darkness. O Spirit of the Living God, melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. This I pray in the name of Jesus: my light, my hope, my savior. AMEN Pastor Jason McConnell Senior Pastor