ADVENT - DAY 18 - JOY JUMPING

ANTICIPATING GOD IN THE CHRISTMAS SEASON (A Daily Advent Devotional)

Over the next few days till Christmas I would like you to take a journey with me in anticipation.  Let's daily look at the events leading up to the birth of Christ with a sense of anticipation of His arrival into this world and into our lives.  (Inspired by the Book "The Miraculous Journey" by Marty A. Bullis).

Advent - Day 18 - Joy Jumping

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, (Luke 1:39-41 ESV)

When is the last time you leaped for joy - when got so excited about something that you expressed your joy by leaping high in the air over and over.  My grandkids leap all the time with expressions of joy for whatever makes them excited at the time.  They are unshamed to run around the house leaping for joy over the littlelist of things. Children are tuned in to rythm's of joy more then we as adults 

It's no wonder that John the Baptist did a jig inside the womb of his mother Elizabeth at the news of a savior would be born in his relative Mary.  There was an infusion of spirit into that womb.  The God-presence was real and alive. The Christ, The Lord was present at that time and at that place.  Advent had arrived.  

Advent causes us to be like children again.  It is a celebration of birth - a celebration that the Christ child will become human and relate to all of us.  We must become like children again and again to experience this.

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 ESV)

...“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3, 4 ESV)

Advent calls us back to childhood, back to the birth, back to the womb.  When we find ourselves as children, reborn into a kingdom of hope, we find legs again and the beauty of joy-jumping because of what Christ means to us.