“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10
What are you asking for this new year? What are you seeking? Do you have any expectations of the coming year? Joys? Fears? Hopes? This morning at church the pastor explained how Luke 2:8-14, typically just seen as a part of the Christmas story, has much to offer us as we ponder our expectations for the new year.
“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.”
Expect the unexpected. Expect to see the Lord’s glory surrounding you. These shepherds were literally just hanging out in a field tending their sheep like they had probably done many nights before, but the Lord had a plan to show up in their lives that night in all His radiance in a very unexpected way. We should expect Him to do the same in our lives. We can’t predict when or where it will happen, but we know He wants to show up and reveal Himself to us. He wants us to ask Him to reveal Himself and to wait expectantly for it to happen.
“They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
Expect great joy. No need to fear the unknowns in your job, your relationships, the government, your future…take heart that the Good News that was delivered a few thousand years ago to shepherds in a dark field is relevant to us today. Christ is alive and moving in the world at this moment and that is nothing to be afraid of—it should fill us with great joy!
“And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’”
Expect to see Christ in your life, to find Him in the deep recesses of your heart, to meet with Him in a personal way. He comes in the most humble of ways to meet with us—as a human. Christ’s physical body may not be here on earth, but He is still as approachable as any human—we can talk to Him, cry with Him, vent to Him, confide in Him, rejoice with Him. He sees the good and the ugly of our hearts but He still wants to meet with us, we just have to reach, seek, ask and expect to find Him there.
“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’”
Expect the armies of heaven to accompany you. Expect the peace of the Lord to infuse you. It seems to me that if I were surrounded by a vast host of angels praising God there would be no way I could not join in the dancing and singing. I can expect that if my eyes are constantly fixed on Him, I will be consumed with praise and peace beyond any normal human understanding.
So I challenge you to expect great encounters with God this year, and I bet you will see Him show up in crazy, awesome, unexpected ways!
