-Alicia Young 2019

I absolutely love this time of year. I love Advent. I love drawing near to the Lord through the study of His Word with other believers during Advent. I love all of the Church gatherings that are both beautiful and full of wonder. I love to watch my children get excited with every passing day, with every Advent craft and devotional. I love every evening that we are able to spend reading together as a family. I love that through the study of Advent we get to see God’s majesty and splendor. He is beautiful. And at Advent, we are most intentional with our time. It’s really one of the sweetest times of the year, albeit, it’s also one of the busiest times of the year.

This year leading up to Advent, God has brought me to the book of Psalms. I love Psalms. I love to see just how much God loves David. God loves David with all of his flaws.  And David, in all of his sin, loves God with everything in him. This love that God has for David gives me confidence that God loves me fervently, just as He says He does. The love that David has for God shows me that all God really wants from me is my heart. And for my heart to long for Him.

This Advent season God has given me this scripture to reflect on:

“Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek.’” Psalms 27:7-8

There is no long to-do list from God on how I can please Him. He does not have these lofty expectations for me as His daughter. He is a tender, compassionate, faithful Father to His children. And He just wants me to seek Him; to seek His Face.

At this time of Advent, when I am filling my time with so many lovely engagements and activities, I am convinced that the best and sweetest way to do this is to find precious time with Him, however that may look. Some days I pray that it is time alone in a quiet house spent in the pouring out of my heart to my God. While at other times I hope it is finding Him in the midst of spending time with His people. However it looks, I pray I can be ever so intentional that this time of Advent is a time where I hear God’s voice because I have sought His face. I pray this for His Church. He is a good God. To Him be the glory forever, Amen.