There are times in our lives when we feel as though there's nothing we can do to make things better. Finances get tight, families argue, friends abandon us. We feel as though the world around us is falling apart. As we approach what we consider "the bottom" we feel more and more alone.
If Advent teaches us one thing it's that nothing is further from the truth.
Today's passage reminds me that there is a God who is asking, if not begging, to be in our lives. King Ahaz is standing at the precipice of the destruction of his city. His people are about to be defeated and dispersed, his kingdom to be taken over by opposing forces. He sees this coming and doesn't know what to do.
God says to Ahaz to ask for a sign, and make it as varied as the distance between the depths and heights of this world. Ahaz refuses, either out of stubbornness or respect. So Isaiah makes a statement; a day will come when an unexpected child from his kingdom will be born who will be able to choose between evil and good, but that will not happen until every memory of Judah passes.
My only question is why didn't Ahaz just allow God to come into his life to help make things better?
Advent is the time Christians wait for the coming of Christ. We watch for the signs that Christ is entering our lives. Our only duty during this time is to open ourselves - our hearts, minds, and souls - to the belief that the child Isaiah spoke of is alive and well in our lives today.
You see, God had enough love to say to Ahaz that there is still a chance, all he had to do was ask. It was Ahaz's stubbornness to open himself to the idea that God still loves him, which may have been the beginning of the end for him, his people, and his land.
God stands on the precipice of our lives, asking to be let in. God's never-ending presence serves as a constant reminder of God's love. For Christians it's through the Christ-child we come to understand the all-enduring, always-present, never-ending love of God. All you have to do is let him in.
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