O Lord, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.
Psalm 144:3-4, ESV
Looking at our world, it’s easy to see humans are relatively insignificant and horrible to each other. Therefore, we gather together in Christ to remind each other that the Creator loves us, saves us, and lifts us up by His Spirit.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6, ESV
We can trust that our God made us with a plan. Let us get over anxieties in life by praising the One who made us and saves us, then we can feel free to ask for His help in all things.
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
Psalm 59:16, ESV
Sometimes it can feel difficult to worship God, but, if we diligently search the Scripture and remember His goodness, we can find it easier to praise our Creator, Protector, and Healer.
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
Isaiah 25:1, ESV
Like our God sacrificed His Son for us, we sacrifice time and pleasures for the ultimate pleasure of worshiping our Creator who planned our salvation from eternity past.
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
Psalm 40:1-2, ESV
The world will tell us we are meaningless accidents, and the devil will have us focus on being animate dirt. Yet, we know God has made us in His image, giving us value and purpose. We can trust our Creator.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Revelation 1:8, 22:12-13 ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Jesus is the Eternal Son of God who was with the Father “before” Creation, through whom all things were created.
We rebelled against our Creator, thinking we could be like Him or had no need for Him.
Yet, God came to us, paying for our sins while reserving wrath for those who refuse to believe.
And Jesus is coming again.
He came as a baby, becoming like us to grow up and save us, and we remember this.
But we also remember that this Man is also our God – truly man and truly God at once and completely.
He died on a cross for us, but He arose again from the dead proving that this Jesus is our God of wrath and grace.
And He is returning soon in His wrath and grace to finally and completely fully redeem this world to Himself.
May we seek the Lord who has defeated sin and death, has saved us, and is coming back again in glory.
Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in
Isaiah 40:21-22, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Our sins have stacked up to heaven, deeper and more vile than we could know.
We think that our sin will go unnoticed by God, that there isn’t really anything He can do against us.
We think that God is impotent, powerless, and unable to hold us accountable for our sin. This is evidenced in the way we live, how we talk, what we do, ignoring His ways, saying “He’ll forgive me” or “I can do what I want.”
But this is the God who can create everything from nothing, hold everything together and within His hands, and stretches out the univers with those same hands.
Yes, we are basically nothing compared to Him, but God intimately knows every part of His Creation, from the farthest flung stars to our innermost thoughts.
He knows how the cosmos work, and He knows our every sin, our every rebellion against Him.
Yet, God came to us, showing usthat He is a personal and loving Creator, becoming like one of us to show His might over even our rebellion and sin.
We therefore prepare ourselves by admitting we don’t understand as much as we think we do, turning to our Creator and Savior who became our example and demonstrated His vast power over our own vast stubbornness.
May we seek the Lord who has no reason to consider us, yet He still lavishes His love and grace on and in us.
Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
Isaiah 40:15-17, ESV
At Advent, we look back at why Jesus had to come, that He came, and then that He will come again.
Our sins have stacked up to heaven, deeper and more vile than we could know.
We think that our sin is basically nothing, but we are so good and important.
Our sin is greater than we think, having separated us from the God of the universe.
Even our scientists can see and admit that on our little planet in this vast universe we are insignificant, our planet comparable to an electron in an atom.
Compared to God, we are even smaller, still thinking we can do anything that can appease His wrath for our sin.
Our planet barely registers as dust on the scales of God’s justice.
We are like nothing.
Yet, God came to us, showing us the depth of His grace and love, becoming like one of us on this dust mite of a planet.
We therefore prepare ourselves by admitting we don’t understand as much as we think we do, turning to our Creator and Savior who makes us worthy.
May we seek the Lord who has no reason to consider us, yet He still loves us and saves us.
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!