The focus of the Advent season is always the same, each year. The theme of this season is preparation, i.e., to get our hearts and lives ready for the appearing of the Lord. We are all accustomed to the concept of “getting ready.” We take care of ourselves each morning with personal hygiene, prepare before we go out into the public or on the job, or put on our best clothing and fashion when we “go out” with family or friends. We prepare for presentations, for appointments with important people, and critical moments that are dear to us. “Getting ready” is a fundamental part of our mental and social make-up; the greater the stakes of the meeting or appointment, the greater our need for “getting ready” and making preparation.
As we get ready for the coming of Christ, we should prepare ourselves accordingly, humbly confessing our faults and shortcomings. This is the time that we affirm that the LORD God is our Father, that we are the clay on the platform, that he is the Potter, forming us, shaping us into the work of his hands. Isaiah addressed the longing of a people to be cleansed, a community that required God’s intervention and blessing, a nation that needed a fresh visitation and manifestation of the Lord’s presence and person: “But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people” (Isaiah 64:8-9, ESV). Knowing that you are not ready for an appointment, that you may be late, or unfit, or unprepared—that clarification is definitely a sign of genuine humility and brokenness. God is more than willing to meet us if we can only admit our need for his help. He is the Potter and we are the clay. He can form and re-form us into whatever we need, so long as we are humble enough to allow him to do so.
Only the Father can forgive and help us, and only his Son can provide healing for us. We all today, like them, must prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. As we anticipate the coming of the Lord at the beginning of this Advent season, so we all should humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, cleanse ourselves from our foolishness and distraction, and prepare our hearts for a visitation from the Lord from heaven. He alone can help us, and bless us. We need to get ready, for the Lord is coming soon. Are you all set?