How to Prepare Yourself for Advent

Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.

 And in that day you will say:

“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion,
For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!””

Isaiah 12:2-6, NKJV

What is Advent?

Historically, the observation of Advent finds its roots in the fourth century, building on a two-pillar foundation found in the holiday name.  “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus and was the translation of the Greek parousia—a word used for both the coming of Christ in human flesh and his Second Coming.¹ Today we still see that foundation in the four themes that characterize our modern, four-week Advent celebration on the Sundays leading up to Christmas:  Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy.  Isaiah 12:2-6 is a passage we will use to reflect on this time-honored season with its exhortation to hope because God offers salvation in Christ and is ready to help as well as its invitation to joy in the praise of our Heavenly Father. We’ll do this with the helpful assistance of the “Start. Grow. Go.” methodology in The Bible Study Bible on this passage.

START

Isaiah 12 starts with praise and continues this theme throughout the chapter with encouragement to “declare” (v.4) to “sing” (v. 5) to “cry out” (v.6) and to “shout” (v. 6) in response to the Lord and all He has done. Some of these expressions are more familiar to us but the passage doesn’t require all of them, it offers all of them as ways to celebrate and connect with a God who is active in our lives.  Do you have a favorite way to celebrate good news?  The worries of our world can distract us from engaging with good news, but it is a gift if we can discipline ourselves to dwell on the joy of salvation our God provides in Jesus.  Try reading this passage aloud as an act of praise. Maybe even read it several times.  As you do, pay attention to how your body and mind respond and ask yourself, “How does praising God influence your thoughts and/or your physical presence.”  Praise is meant to engage us with God and enable us in this world as we look to Heaven, this passage invites us to that rich experience.

GROW

Our lives often provide different lenses through which we experience Scripture and it’s good to be mindful of this process.  As you read this chapter, what emotions do you experience when you read it? It is also good to also ask “why?” those emotions might come up. Keeping all of this in mind, let’s focus our attention on the idea of “salvation.”  What ideas or images come to mind when you read that word in chapter 12?  More specifically, in verse three, it talks about drawing water “from the wells of salvation.”  It might be helpful to also read John 4:1-26. In this passage where Jesus brings this idea of “the wells of salvation” to life speaking to the woman at the well. We see him offer her the “gift of God,” (v.10) through the analogy of a living water where she would “never thirst” (v13) again.  And leads her to a place of inclusion and praise in verse 24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Salvation leads to worship. And it is good to think about what that looks like on a practical level. To wrestle with what it means to “praise the Lord” and “declare His deeds” (Is 12:4). What does that look like for you today?

GO

Isaiah praises God for turning away His anger, offering mercy in its place (v.1) and it brings him to a place where he will “trust and not be afraid.”  It is from this place that the Lord becomes Isaiah’s “strength and song” as well as his “salvation.” (v.2) Commit to memorizing Is 12:2 to memory and take steps today to make praise and worship a bigger part of your spiritual life as you prepare in Advent to celebrate the hope found in the birth of our Lord.