We live in an instant world; microwaved, fast-forwarded, swipe-and-go. Technology has trained us to expect answers now, rewards now, results now. With smartphones in every hand and information appearing in seconds, we are slowly losing our ability to wait. Patience is becoming rare. But today, as we step into the Advent season, I want to invite us to slow down, breathe deeply, and remember that waiting is not a burden; waiting can be a blessing. Advent is the season of sacred anticipation: celebrating the birth of Jesus and awaiting His promised return. This Advent season, I am determined to pause intentionally, to carve out daily moments of reflection, and to wait with expectation for the new thing God desires to birth in my life.
Advent teaches us to anticipate God’s promises. From the very beginning, God promised the birth of His Son. The Old Testament holds prophecies foretelling the Messiah’s lineage, birth and purpose (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6–7; Isaiah 11:1; 2 Samuel 7:12–16; Micah 5:2). Our spiritual ancestors waited for this promise with hope; sometimes through hardship, sometimes through heartache, but always with expectation. I believe they were kept focused and held steady by the words found in Isaiah 9:6. Their waiting was not in vain. Although their wait was long, in God’s time, Jesus, the Messiah, was born (Matthew 1:18-25). Just as they waited for His birth, now wait with joyful assurance for His return (Titus 2:13). I wait believing the words of Jesus in John 14:3, He is coming back and I am excited as I wait for Him to return.
Advent teaches us to wait actively. I know that the word wait is most often viewed as a noun but Advent points to waiting that is a verb. My waiting will include action oriented faith, I will stay in place anticipating what is to come. While I wait for the promises of God, my time of waiting will not be passive. I will seek God early and often (Psalm 63:1). I will call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6). I will search for Him with my whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13). I will seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). I will begin each day in prayer and the study of His Word. I will live with spiritual alertness, intentionally engaging in worship, thanksgiving, and service. I will tell of God’s goodness and cultivate gratitude for blessings both big and small (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). I will commit to a lifestyle of active waiting. As I do this, my faith will grow, my wisdom will deepen, and my heart will become fertile ground for whatever God desires to plant.
Advent teaches us that waiting is a spiritual discipline. Waiting is not just an inconvenience, it is training. Becoming the woman that God designed me to be requires spiritual exercise (1 Timothy 4:7–8). God calls me to align my actions, my words, and my life with His truth (Proverbs 3:5–6; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 10:31). The Bible is filled with examples of people who obeyed God and waited for His promise to come to pass. Noah built an ark on dry land long before the rain came (Genesis 6:22). Abraham journeyed without knowing the destination or what he would face along the way (Hebrews 11:8). Their waiting was rewarded with unimaginable blessings. During this Advent season, I will exercise my faith muscles, build my spiritual endurance and excitedly anticipate what God has in store.
Advent teaches us to reflect and prepare. Advent invites us to intentionally reflect on what the birth and promised return of Jesus means for our lives. Through the birth of Jesus, God stepped into human history to save us from sin, open the way to salvation, and offer the gift of eternal life (John 3:16–17; Romans 6:23). Jesus came to bridge the gap that Adam and Eve’s disobedience created (Romans 5:12–19). The birth of Jesus brought hope, peace, and light into a dark and weary world (John 8:12). Jesus, the Light of the world, expects us to live lives of love, gratitude, and remembrance while we await His return. During this Advent season, I will rejoice knowing that The Father is always with me, that He hears my prayers, and working every detail out according to His Perfect will.
During this Advent season, I choose to wait with expectant joy believing God’s promises. I will wait, buoyed by the evidence biblical and my personal history provides (Psalm 77:11). I will patiently wait, even when life looks uncertain because I know He will never leave nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). I will wait anticipating what is next, even when answers seem delayed. I will wait, remembering that I am in the hands of The Father (Isaiah 49:16). I will wait with hope, knowing that God keeps every one of His promises, and His timing is always perfect (Habakkuk 2:3; 2 Peter 3:9). I will eagerly wait, remembering that just like Jesus’s birth and promised return, in the fullness God’s time, everything He has for me will come.
It is my prayer that during this Advent season, we will focus on the beauty of waiting; slow, sacred, intentional waiting. I pray that we will rehearse His promises in our prayers. I pray that we will remember in every season of delay, that while we wait, God is still working, He is still faithful, and He is still worthy. I pray that we will live each day remembering that we are one day closer to what God has promised.
Join me Under The Church Hat for this month’s devotion:
In less than 250 words, describe the way fast-paced lifestyle shapes the way I respond to waiting.
Describe how the birth of Jesus and His promised return shape your perspective on delays, uncertainty, and God’s timing in your life in less than 250 words.
List two of God’s promises you are waiting to be fulfilled and describe how biblical figures encourage you in this season.
What spiritual disciplines (prayer, study, worship, obedience) do you sense God urging you to strengthen during this Advent season?
Choose a passage from this devotion to meditate on throughout the month.