Wait and rejoice (Dec 22)

“It will be said on that day,
    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”” Isaiah 25:9
Advent is a time of waiting. A time for remembering that first wait for the arrival of Jesus and a time for us to remember that we are waiting for His return. On on that glorious day when He returns to bring His people home there we be much gladness and rejoicing as we see our Lord, who we have waited for. As we see our God who saves us. The God who is with us as we wait. In advent we remember that is what we are waiting for. That day when we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation. The day when “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall their be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” Revelation 21:4.
Waiting isn’t easy, but it is doable when we remember we are in this in-between age. We are living between the first and second coming of Jesus and while things can seem tough and grim at the moment we know there is eternity ahead of us with God our Saviour who has come to save us. We wait for Him with hope for we know He has already come that first Christmas and He is faithful and victorious. The power of sin and death is broken. Nothing can separate us from the love of God shown through Christ Jesus our Lord. We wait with hope for His return for we know the day of rejoicing is coming. Though the night may be dark now (just as it was as the shepherds watched their flocks that first Christmas) but we wait with hope for our God has promised He is returning and that He will wipe away every tear. Death has been defeated and our salvation has been secured through the blood of the Lamb. Nothing can drag us down for our Mighty God is upholding us in His victorious right hand. As we await His return let us wait with hope and expectation, and let us rejoice as we wait for we know how this story ends. We wait with the certain hope of victory for our God is the God who saves us!