December 1. Prepare the way.

He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

He will go before Him in the Spirit and Power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the

wisdom of the just to make ready for the Lord a people prepared, Luke 1, 16, and 17.

What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Don't let Christmas find you unprepared. I mean spiritually unprepared.

Its joy and impact will be so much greater if you are ready. So that you might be prepared,

first meditate on the fact that we need a Savior.

Christmas is an indictment before it becomes a delight.

Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2.11, if you don't need a Savior,

you don't need Christmas. Christmas will not have its intended effect until we feel desperately

the need for a Savior. Let these short Advent meditations help awaken in you a bittersweet sense of need for the Savior.

Second, engage in sober self-examination. Advent is to Christmas what lent is to Easter.

Search me, O God, and know my heart. try me and know my thoughts and see if there be

any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139, 23, and 24. Let every heart

prepare him room by cleaning house. Third, build God-centered anticipation and

expectancy and excitement into your home, especially for the children. If you are excited about Christ,

they will be too.

If you can only make Christmas exciting with material things,

how will the children get a thirst for God?

Bend the efforts of your imagination

to make the wonder of the King's arrival visible for the children.

Fourth, be much in the Scriptures and memorize the great of the king's arrival visible for the children.

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