Advent Devotional

wednesday, december 1


On the Way






“...Behold I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:26-38






God appears at the most unexpected times, in the most surprising ways. The young, humble Mary encountered God in an astonishing way as she was "on her way" in life. Many of Jesus' miracles occurred while He was "on the way" somewhere. He called the first disciples while He was "on the way." And many of us first discovered Jesus as we were "on the way" in our lives. We weren't expecting Him, and before we met Him I doubt many of us had ever imagined that there could be such a God, and that He would intervene in our lives by becoming human, of all things.


The incarnation really is a strange and curious thing. What is even stranger to me is that Jesus told us we must be born again to see salvation. Nicodemus didn't understand this, and at times I struggle with this concept as well. What I do understand, though, is that not only is this born-again-ness critical to your and my personal salvation, but it is precisely in this process that God continues sending His salvation message into the world. He does so through us.


I wonder how many people I encounter each day as I am "on the way," who have never met Jesus? How many people I pass by in haste who desperately need me to reach out to them in His name, and invite them to come, adore, and worship Him? Jesus was born to be a light to the nations. It is a sobering thought that so many people remain in spiritual darkness in part because of my failure to completely surrender my life to Him.


There is a new life at work in me, the life of Christ. And He is clamoring to invite others to see God born into the world to save them. When I meditate on the miracle of the incarnation, I am always astonished that God has chosen to continue living on earth through us. What a privilege and a responsibility. This Advent season, let’s celebrate the incarnation by echoing Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel: “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; Let it be with me according to your word.” As we allow Jesus to be continually reborn in our hearts, I wonder what miracles will await us as we go “on our way.”


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by Kristi Vrooman. Kristi is a PSC Mid-Term Missionary and classical musician who is currently serving in Germany. {email Kristi}