December 2. My prayer has been that this year, unlike years past, Advent would be a time of preparation, not for the external celebration of Christmas but for the internal preparation I need to understand the Incarnation on a deeper, more personal level. Interestingly, as I begin to seek God in these early days of Advent, asking Him to show me more fully what I am preparing for, His response has been that I am asking the wrong question. Before I can even begin to understand the Who or What of His gift, I must first ask Why?

I don’t mean why do I need a Savior. That’s a Gospel story for sure and the most important question a person will wrestle with in coming to faith and salvation. But as a believer with a saving faith, why do I need to understand the significance of baby Jesus afresh each year? Why not just celebrate Christmas with gifts and decorations and music and maybe a Christmas service or two—sort of like a memorial or a remembrance?

My answer came in a children’s devotional reading. This does not surprise me one bit; it seems lately that I discover much truth in my kids’ homeschool curricula, and I love that! Today, one of the devotionals I shared with Lydia and Saylor included the familiar Isaiah passage of scripture that stirs hearts at Christmas no matter how many times it is recited or read: “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

But this devotional didn’t start at verse 6 like most of the Christmas recitations. It started with verse 2, which I had not previously even noticed more than in passing. It says: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined.” God really impressed upon me that I needed to meditate on this verse in light of my Why question—that it would show me why this God-child needed to be born, and why Advent is about more than celebrating the salvation that comes through Him. I am no theologian, but time and time again, God has used His Word to reveal His truths to me.

The result of my prayer and meditation on Isaiah 9:2:

 I am one who walks in darkness when I…

*see only through my dim eyes instead of His clear ones

*seek guidance from my fellow sinful man before God

*read more faithfully others’ words about Him than His own Word

*am influenced more by my culture than my God

*let my eyes see impure things without turning away

*fail to see need around me

*have tunnel-vision, focusing on my own agenda instead of His

And I dwell in a land of deep darkness, a land plagued with…

*bad habits

*wasted time

*not enough joy

*sparse fruit of the Spirit

*a sense of urgency dictated not by God but by society’ expectations of me

*spiritual ADD, anemia, and malnourishment

*constant distractions

*technology and advancements that have created a land of abundance that is so full, it is empty

Dear God, I think I understand Why I need to encounter you afresh this Advent—and all the time, really. Even though I am a believer who has eternal life through you, I walk daily in darkness and I dwell in a land of deep darkness. Shine your light on these convictions you have revealed to me, and dispel the darkness that blinds me today and everyday. Help me, this Advent season, to “see a great light.” In Your holy name I pray, Amen.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ’I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)