I was lost. A couple hours earlier I had gone into the woods for a late afternoon hunt, and had not marked my bearings. By the time darkness had surrounded me, I was hopelessly lost. Clinging for anything to mark my way, I followed the creek. Hours passed, but I determined to keep moving. The temperature was dropping below freezing. I fought loneliness and anxiety, and longed for my way to be made clear.
Finally, somewhere in the middle of the night, I literally tripped onto a path. It was a path that led to a road, which eventually led to my campsite. On that fateful night, wondering around in the darkness, the one thing I longed for was for my way to be made clear. It was a longing that eventually gave way to hope, which eventually gave way to peace, which eventually gave way to the joy of reunion with my friends.
That theme of longing continues to resonate in my heart this advent season. We have seen the Christ child. We have beheld his beauty. Yet there is still a longing in many of our hearts. For some of us, the fear and exhaustion of the dark woods is an ever present reality. We long for the way to be made clear. We long for the surety of hope. Yes, we long for peace on earth, but more importantly we long for peace in our own hearts. We long for our joy to be made complete.
This advent, we will see the Object of our longing…the Prince of Peace. As we open the advent season, we will also come to the dramatic conclusion of our time in Job. In the storyline of this book, Job has been longing for God to speak…to answer. In chapter 38, God breaks his long silence, and in ways Job could not have anticipated, his longing is satisfied. Won’t you join us this week, and this advent season, as we look to God’s Word to find the One who satisfies our every longing.