This passage tells us that Christ will return soon and in order to prepare we must dress ourselves in the armor of light (for more information on that, read Ephesians 6:10-20). Given that we are reading those same words, I have to ask: what does soon mean?
Though it would be nice to have an answer to that question, it is a human question asked from a human perspective. I think the better question would be, once dressed in the armor of light what am I supposed to do? To me, this time of Advent is a time of mercy and grace as God grants us time to make changes in our lives, get rid of the darkness and begin living as children of light. It is a time to realize that the church year shouldn’t build up to Christmas and then suffer a let-down, but that Advent and Christmas should serve as times to revive us for action in this world.
God tells us that we can trust a prophecy by paying attention to whether or not it comes true. So here is what we know: a reconciling covenant and Messiah was promised throughout the Old Testament, and Jesus came. A priest was told a son would be born who would turn hearts back to God, and John was born to do just that. A young virgin was told she would bear a son who would be the Son of the Most High, and Jesus came. A group of men were told they’d be given the strength to witness to the ends of the earth, and down came the Holy Spirit.
If by nothing else than these prophecies and comings we can be assured of God’s word and therefore we must trust that Christ will return and will do so on God’s time.
In the meantime we are called to keep perspective and continue to carry the lights lit in advent—lit to remember and look ahead—into our darkened world.
(Note: the above is original content written by this author in 2004. I suggest having a journal and Bible on-hand when you sit down with this devotional in order to complete the full aspects of it.)