Today is our last day on this Advent journey through The Sounds of Silence. But it doesn’t end here. You are most likely still in your season of waiting or about to enter into a season of waiting. My prayer is that we would submit to God during every season, that we would treasure up in our hearts all the lessons he wants to teach us about ourselves and himself, and as we trust him, we would increase in wisdom and in favor with God and man.
Remember: Luke 2:51-52
And he [Jesus] went down with them [Mary and Joseph] and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. - Luke 2:51-52
Jesus, the Word made flesh, the Creator of all mankind, the Sovereign King of the world was submissive to his earthly parents. This was true humility. He obeyed their word, he followed their rules, he honored their authority, he willingly humbled himself while wrapped in our human flesh.
Mary’s response to his submission goes all the way back to her reaction to the shepherd’s visit and proclamation. While others wondered with amazement at the heralding of the news: “Today, a Savior has been born to you!”, Mary stored up all these things in her heart. Little treasures that she would no doubt draw from later. She had a front row view to the true humility of our loving God.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. - Philippians 2:5-8
Meanwhile, Jesus increased in wisdom, grew physically and found favor with God and man. This wasn’t because he had perfect parents, this was a testimony of God’s grace and faithfulness in the life of the growing Messiah. What an encouragement to us as imperfect parents. We are fully aware of our flaws, but God is writing our children’s story, weaving in all our imperfections alongside his faithfulness and grace. He matures us through parenting and he grows our children in spite of our parenting. As we submit to his guidance and obey him, we treasure these things in our hearts always, trusting that he is using all things, even our mistakes, to develop us into mature followers of Christ.
Reflect
As you move on from this journey, may you treasure these things in your heart. May we never lose the gift of the sense of wonder that waiting seasons bring. It’s so easy to forget God’s faithfulness when the waiting is over, or fail to see his faithfulness in the silence. So, whether you are in a season of waiting, experiencing silence, grappling with grief or sitting in a place of peace today, submit to his perfect plan. Treasure these little glimpses of his grace in the darkness. Trust that he is maturing you and growing you through the process. Bask in his favor resting on you because of Christ. Listen to the sounds in the silence.
Respond
Carry this breath prayer in your heart today:
Breathe In:
Jesus, you humbled yourself,
Breathe Out:
I submit to you.
The Journey
Thank you for following along on this Advent journey! My hope is that it brought you encouragement in whatever waiting room you find yourself in during this Advent season. Keep following my newsletter and podcast for what’s next. You can subscribe to my newsletter here.
