Dispel The Night

9 Dec

Dear Savior haste; come, come to earth,
Dispel the night and show your face, and bid us hail the dawn of grace.

The longest night in the year? Ask any child and it would most probably be Christmas Eve. The hours between dinnertime and Christmas morning are about three and a half days long. If you fact-check that by asking any child, that child will most likely agree. Christmas Eve goes on forever.

Dear Santa, haste! Come, down our chimney. Bring lots of gifts and toys for us and bring us more than all our friends. (My apologies to Christmas song purists!) Yes, children long for Santa. I remember the routine that we had when I was young. Dad used to pile us into the car and we would go driving around town trying to view Santa’s sleigh in the air. He would take us out of town where it was darker because of the lack of street lights in order to view the sky better.

We would never see Santa’s sleigh; but, when we got home, presents would be under our tree. But we would have to wait until the next morning to open them. Again, an interminable wait.

God’s people waited for a long time for Jesus to come into the world. They prayed for deliverance and many generations died without seeing the Messiah. We have the benefit of history. We know that Jesus was born, that He taught His people, suffered and died, and rose from the dead.

Now, we do our own waiting. We wait for the day that God calls us to Himself. Do all that you can to be right with the Lord so that, when He calls, you might be prepared. That means examining your life, rooting out sinful tendencies, and living in the light of Christ’s love. Yes, indeed, Lord Jesus, dispel our night and show your face. Shine your light into our lives so that we may see what we must do to be prepared for the day you call us to yourself.

FAITH ACTION: Ask Jesus Christ to shine His light into the dark corners of your heart and soul so that you may follow Him more completely today.