There are so many inspiring words associated with Advent: arrival, appearance, emergence, dawn, birth, rise, development.
My favorite of these words, especially this year, is dawn.
Dawn gives the idea of new beginnings, light, and waking up. Dawn is a wonderful metaphor for what happens in our lives when we come to faith in Christ. Christ illuminates the way for us; His light is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). If we follow in this path and “walk in this light,” we are cleansed from our sin (1 John. 1:7) – which is only possible because of the Advent of Christ.
Dawn also is beautiful picture of the newness of God’s mercies anytime we mess up. Lamentations 3:22-23 says:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
No matter what has happened in your life this past year, the Advent season is an invitation to refocus your life and put things in perspective for the celebration of Christ’s birth.
There is a beautiful 19th century Advent hymn by Edward Caswell that tells of this dawning of God’s mercy on our lives through the First Coming of Christ and the unbelievable joy that will occur with Second Coming.
Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is nigh!” it seems to say;
“Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!
Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all ill dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiven,
That, when next He comes with glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
With His mercy He may shield us
And with words of love draw near.
Honor, glory, might, and blessing,
To the Father and the Son,
With the everlasting Spirit,
While eternal ages run!
Continuing with the theme of dawn and light, here is some biblical context for the hymn:
Romans 13:11-14
“Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.”
John 8:12
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5
“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”
Christ is the Light of the World. As the children of God, we are to live life in the light, not in darkness, which is why Caswell’s hymn calls us “children of the day.” Romans 13:12 instructs us to “wake up” and put on the “armor of light” because daylight is near. We are commanded to live in the Light and to be a light to the world.
Referring to the Second Coming of Christ – the Second Advent – Romans 13:11 says, “Salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” With each passing moment, the time of Christ’s Second Coming is closer and closer. This means we have no time to lose in breaking the chains of whatever might be holding us back from serving God at our fullest potential. Knowing this gives us a sense of urgency in following God and sharing the Gospel. And, while it can be quite intimidating to share our faith, the Advent season is both a reminder of the world’s need for a Savior and is an open door to tell people about the real “reason for the season,” as the somewhat cliché (albeit true) saying goes.
Remembering the First Coming and looking towards the Second, we can take great comfort in the fact that if God is for us, no one can be against us (Romans 8:31). So, we can have every confidence in both reorienting our hearts and in going all-out to be the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) this Advent season.
If you are in need of direction in refocusing and preparing your heart for Christmas, ask yourself these questions:
- What chains might be holding you back from fully serving God right now?
- What does putting on the “armor of light” look like for you?
- What can you do this Christmas season to be a light to someone?
- What might be dawning for you in the New Year?
Listen to God’s voice. Break away from darkness. Urgently pursue Christ. Joyfully look to life in the Light. It’s wonderfully bright and others desperately need to see it.
Credit: Calligraphy by Stephanie Ko // www.simplystephko.com // Instagram: @simplystephko
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