Advent 28: Our Christmas Stories, or, Case Studies in Redemption

Christmas is the Gospel story, the story of God's intervention, his rescue plan. And if Advent is a time of waiting, then it's a time of remembering what our own 'walking in darkness' was and what it felt like. If Christmas is the joy of a Savior's birth, Advent is remembering how desperately we needed that baby to be born.

That's why I read Psalm 107 as an Advent psalm. Four case studies in redemption. What we were, in dire straits, and the drastic, powerful, gracious means God employed to gather us and make us his own. Four hopeless problems, four miraculous solutions.

He brought us out of trouble and gathered us from the four corners of earth, so let us give thanks for his goodness and his steadfast, eternally enduring love!

In one corner of the earth, we wandered through the desert, with no home, no food, nothing to drink.
In another corner, we sat in darkness, close to death, afflicted prisoners, in the bondage of slavery because of our rebellion and hatred of God and his ways.
In the third corner, we were foolish and we reaped what we sowed, suffering consequences that we ourselves chose, denying whatever was good for us, and thus getting progressively, dangerously closer to death.
In the fourth corner, we went about our business, successful and productive, important and powerful, independent and not hurting anyone, but when we saw God's power in raging storms we quickly recognized the limits of our control, and we were absolutely terrified.

That is who we were. This is the desperate waiting, the expectant longing of Advent.

But God. When we cried out to him, He delivered us. Every time.

Those who were lost, he put us on the right path that led to a new home. Where our soul was hungry, he gave us good things until we were satisfied.
Those who were enslaved, he brought us out of darkness, burst chains, shattered doors, cut bars, and set us free.
Those who were foolish, by his Word, he healed us, delivered us from our destructive ways, changed our desires.
Those who were frightened by our finiteness, he calmed the storms, got our attention, and restored rest and peace.

And so we all respond in gratitude for the salvation and the hope that comes with Christmas. Which corner were you gathered from? What is your Christmas story? The response is the same each time:

"Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!"