Wonder Of Advent #22

The Drama of God

Read: Malachi 3:1-4

The Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple.

Malachi 3:1

GOD MADE PROMISES OF GLORY. When the Temple in Jerusalem was first built in the time of Solomon, and when it was rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity, God promised to fill his dwelling place with his manifest presence. Of course, Scripture is clear that God cannot be contained in a building or really in anything finite. So he came not only to the Temple of stone but to the temple of the human heart—and to the temple of creation itself. God spoke this world into being, watched it fall, cultivated it for his intervention, and then entered into it himself. The incarnation of Jesus was a remarkable manifestation of God’s presence in human flesh. The Creator stepped onto the very stage he had created.

Scripture often announces God’s appearances in his world as occurring “suddenly.” And to human eyes, they do. The Messiah came suddenly to Jews who were not expecting him; the announcement came suddenly to shepherds in a field; God often enters our lives suddenly in the midst of a crisis or in response to a prayer; and the return of the Messiah is prophesied to be as sudden as a flash of lightning or the twinkling of an eye. But God has planned his movements from before the foundation of the world. He often spends millennia setting up a “suddenly” in our history or our individual lives. He may be a master of subtlety, but he is also a master of the dramatic moment. He knows how to orchestrate a surprise.

That’s why it’s important to be ready for God’s opportune times—to see the story line he is writing for your life and respond to his timing. Never mistake his subtlety for tentativeness. His quiet preparation inevitably leads to dramatic moments of his presence. Only segments of a small town witnessed Jesus’ birth, but it was nevertheless a certain and monumental event. The seemingly subdued movements of God in your life are building toward certain and monumental events too. His presence is always with you, but his appearances come at propitious moments. He has come to win major battles, overcome huge obstacles, provide for deep needs, and turn the course of your life toward glory—if you respond to his movements in faith. Watch and be ready for his “suddenlies.” They have been a long time in coming.

Prayer

Father, you are the Lord I seek. Come to your temple—your world and my heart—in power. Make me sensitive to your favorable moments. Fill my life with your glory. Amen.

REFLECTION

In what ways did the people who recognized Jesus for who he was have eyes that were ready to see him? How can you prepare to see his work in your life too?

Further reading: Haggai 2:6-9

God with man is now residing,

yonder shines the infant light.

“ANGELS FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY,” JAMES MONTGOMERY