Welcome back for the second of our Advent devotionals on this year’s theme of “Preparation.”
When I was a child, one of my older brothers loved to make model airplane kits. Every Christmas there was a new kit under the tree. The pieces came already formed. All he had to do was follow the instructions and glue the pieces together. But then he painted the sides and fine details. He added decals to make each plane look distinct and realistic.
In Genesis chapter 1, we see how much preparation God put into creating a world for us. He had no ready-made kit. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He separated light from darkness, he divided the waters from the dry land. He designed a garden full of plants and trees. He added the sun, moon and stars. He filled the ocean with fish, the skies with birds, and the land with animals. And by the time he made man? All was ready for Adam and Eve to enjoy.
God prepared every detail and was pleased with his work. Where my brother assembled his plastic plane kits for his personal pleasure to display in his bedroom, our God created this world as a gift for his people. The Lord did not need sun and moon, or trees and animals in order to have glory. He already had glory. He prepared these things for his pleasure and for ours.
Take some time now to thank him for the world he prepared for you thousands upon thousands of years ago. You see, the second step in our soul-preparation should be to fill our hearts with gratitude.
