Day 13 Advent Devotional | December 16th
Luke 1:68-69
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant—
What matters about this world is not its mighty armies, or its complex governments. It is certainly not important in a cosmic sense, there are billions upon billions of other planets in the universe. What makes our planet unique is the fact that we are here, that we exist. We shouldn’t be here. There is no other planet is like ours. What is the difference between all those other cold balls of rock and our earth? We live on a visited planet.
The quote is not mine. It actually comes from J. B. Phillips who at the time was writing about Christmas. He writes, ““Behind all our fun and games at Christmas time, we should not try to escape a sense of awe, almost a sense of fright, at what God has done. We must never allow anything to blind us to the true significance of what happened at Bethlehem so long ago. Nothing can alter the fact that we live on a visited planet.”
Does Christmas matter in a cosmological sense? Yes, it matters. This is the planet God chose to visit in the coming of Jesus Christ. Have you ever thought about Christmas in this way? In the vast expanse of the cosmos, your home – earth – is not really anything special. But in the heart of God, it is the only planet worthy of His coming in this way. These are big thoughts, what do they mean for our Christmas this year. Only this: You are meant to be here, on this planet. Your life has meaning and purpose because this planet is the one where Jesus came on a Bethlehem night long ago. You have a place in this visited world. It is not an accident and neither are you!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your coming to this earth is what makes this earth special in any way. Guide me as I find my place in this visited planet. Help me to know and rest in your Sovereignty in my life and in this world. You are at the center of all creation and none of it matters apart from you. I am here for your purpose. Teach me the way. Amen.