The Advent Wreath - Praying and Waiting for Christmas

“The wise men went their way. And the star . . . went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!” (Matthew 2:9-10, NLT)

“[Jesus said], ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.’” (John 8:12, NLT)

One of the loveliest Christmas traditions is lighting the candles on an Advent wreath as we count the weeks until Christmas. Advent means “coming” and is a season of expectation as we await the Christ child’s birth. The circle-shaped wreath reminds us of God’s never-ending love, mercy, and faithfulness. The evergreen branches remind us of His promise of everlasting life. The candles remind us that Jesus is the Light who came into a sin-darkened world.

In the Christmas story, a star lit the way in the darkness for the wise men who were searching for Israel’s king. They weren’t part of God’s covenant family, so they went to the wrong place, to Jerusalem, where Israel’s kings once had their thrones. “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?” they asked. “We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). They were lost and trying to find Jesus.

The only thing worse than being lost is being lost in the dark. Once, on a camping trip in Canada, our family foolishly set off on a hike in the woods after supper, thinking we could return to the campground before dark. But we got lost and were still in the woods as night fell. Worse, we didn’t have flashlights. Our children began to panic, and I confess that I was scared, too, imagining wildcats and bears in the endless Canadian wilderness.

We walked on, hoping we were headed in the right direction, and finally spotted a faint light in the distance, shining through the trees. We hurried toward it—after convincing our daughter that bears didn’t have flashlights. Soon we saw more lights, flickering in lanterns and campfires. We had found the campground, guided by a light in the darkness.

The prophet Isaiah foretold Christ’s advent when he wrote, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2). And for those who follow Him, our path “is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day” (Proverbs 4:18). We’re reminded of this as more Advent candles are lit, increasing the brightness until His arrival on Christmas Day.

Jesus is the Light of the World, but He said that we are the light of the world, too, “like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). We are to shine His light in the darkness, giving hope to people who are lost and fearful, lighting their way home to Christ.

Prayer:

Who can you pray for today to find their way to Jesus?