The Advent Adventure - Day 2: Learning to Live Freely and Lightly
“Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:30 (MSG)
As we began our Advent Adventure, we learned yesterday that advent simply means “coming” or “arrival”. The question of advent isn’t whether Jesus came to earth, but have you come to Christ? The personal invitation of the One who came at Bethlehem is for you and me to come to Him. Jesus said, “Come to Me….” That’s when the adventure of advent really begins! Have you come to Christ? I love the way The Message puts it in verse 30, Jesus said, “Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” That’s the promise our Savior makes when we come to Him! You may come to Christ right now. Open your heart to Him. Receive His grace and forgiveness, and experience His love for you. How? Simply acknowledge your need for God in prayer. Humbly admit your sin and ask His forgiveness. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) In verse 13, the Bible adds this promise, “For Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” Have you done that? That’s how you come to Christ. It begins the adventure of sharing that life on earth with Jesus that you will one day share with Him for eternity in heaven. Then, as you keep company with Jesus, your world begins to change. His presence rearranges your priorities and shifts your focus to the things that are eternal. You begin to embrace the moment and learn to live freely and lightly. You discover that the miracle is in the moment as you leave your regrets behind and receive the promise of His mercies that are new and fresh every morning!
God never intended for life to be a burden but a blessing! Which one describes your life? This doesn’t mean we never experience a burden or face trials and problems. It simply means we can now take all of those burdens and leave them with God. Why not do that right now?
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.