By this point in Advent, many of us are flagging. We have been involved in school concerts, choir concerts, Christmas fairs and special activities. We have bought and wrapped countless presents and arranged deliveries of these to those we will not see over Christmas. We have written endless cards and posted them off. The three weeks of Advent have probably been busier than the rest of the year put together, and still we have carol services and special meals to prepare in the week to come. I’m hugely glad my granddaughter shares her birthday with my Dad’s (Christmas Eve), but it does mean we have birthday activities to add into the hectic mix as we try to make that special for her as well! Joy can seem in short supply at this precise moment in December, or at least it feels stretched thin.
I follow the Bible In One Year reading plan to ensure I read through the whole Bible every year, and I’m always struck by the reading in December which looks at Proverbs 30. That chapter starts, ‘I am weary, God, but I can prevail.’ (Prov 30:1) It always raises a smile in me, as it encapsulates exactly how I feel at this time of the year!
Joy giving us strength (Neh 8:10) is God’s promise to us as we approach the last week in Advent. Christmas Day is less than a week away. We may feel weary, but we can prevail – we can thrive and not just survive! Keep focussing on Jesus; keep lifting your head to gaze on Him. Study how He did it and keep going. (Heb 12:1-3) For the joy that was before Him, Jesus endured the shame of the cross. We have joy ahead; don’t give up.
