Christmas Musings Day 8

 Desperate Need

Genesis 16:2 (ESV) ² And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

               I like to think of myself as self-sufficient. I fully imbibe in the West-Texas myth of pulling myself up by my own bootstraps. After all, I worked hard most of my life, and aside from a period of wandering in late high-school and shortly thereafter, I have stayed true to the Lord…at least that is how I see it. Even though my logical thought-self understands the fallacy, my heart-self truly thinks I am a pretty good guy, after all, I do not commit any of the biggies…any more. In my mental and spiritual calculus, I worked off those indiscretions long ago. Like Abram and Sarai of long ago, I designed a plan to help out God. But God, through the Advent journey, reminds me of my desperate need.

               Some time after the birth of Ishmael, God appears to Abram, reminds him of the promise, and changes his name. Abram has the temerity to remind God of Ishmael, saying, “¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” Genesis 17:18 (ESV) He’d worked out a plan to fix the problem of Sari’s bareness. But as usual with mankind, his plan failed to account for the majesty and power of the Lord, as well as his own depravity. God gently reminds him, “…No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.” Genesis 17:19 (ESV) God is insistent. His plan will be the one. Our own maneuverings fall woefully short.

               Reviewing the long-unfolding story of Advent serves to remind me that no matter how hard I might try, whatever machinations I might develop, they all fail to meet my needs. My good efforts just do not stack up. They may be nice. They might even make me feel better, but the truth is, I need God’s help to solve my fundamental sin and guilt issues. As I consider the wonderful and poignant journey of Advent, I must come face to face with my own desperate need and the overwhelming love of God that pays my debt. I stand on the common ground of human need in awe of a God that would come so far just to be with me.