Advent: Day Two

‘The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”’ —Genesis 3:14-15 

The world is not as it should be. Every ambulance siren, every street sign for a $250 divorce, every bottle of antidepressants, and every tombstone stands as evidence. It is broken, but this hasn’t always been the case. God created this world to be a perfect home, but His enemy, Satan, is the father of lies. He poisoned the first humans, Adam and Eve, with lies. As a result, they rebelled against God and broke His heart. 

They also broke this world. 

Yet, in the midst of what seemed like a hopeless darkness, a glorious hope shone. God promised His enemy a reckoning was coming. God promised a baby would be born Who would crush the works of the devil. This promise is known as the Protoevangelium – the first pronouncement of the gospel. The good news that God would not abandon the broken world; Someone was coming to rescue everyone.

Meditation: Have you ever lost something priceless? Do you recall the pain your heart felt over a loss that seemed irreplaceable? Imagine the grief of Adam and Eve when they realized the damage their rebellion caused. Yet, imagine the hope and expectation that was planted in their hearts as they heard God promise the coming of a Rescuer.

Prayer: Jesus Christ, just as Adam and Eve looked back upon Your promise in hope, we look back upon Your birth, life, death, and resurrection. We celebrate You as the savior of the world, given for us. As they looked ahead for Your coming, we also look ahead with expectant hearts for the day You will return as King. Fill our hearts with holy expectation.