Advent Devotional from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Tuesday, Fourth Week of Advent 2009

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

–Colossians 1:15-20 (The Message)

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him… (NIV)

“Two mighty words; ‘fullness’ a substantial, comprehensive, expressive word in itself, and ‘all,’ a great little word including everything. When combined in the expression, ‘all fullness,’ we have before us a superlative wealth of meaning.” (Spurgeon)

Fullness – Jesus is so full of God’s love, mercy, compassion, grace, conviction, righteousness, and holiness – it spills out of Him onto everyone He meets. Think of His interaction with the people He meets on His journey from Bethlehem to Calvary. Each one is treated differently. He didn’t have a pack of tracks in His back pocket to hand out along the way. He didn’t have a standard question to ask that led to conversation that He controlled. He didn’t push aside the lonely, the broken, the hurting, the outcast on His was to the synagogue or temple. He took time.

Perhaps in the end, time is the greatest gift of all that we can give to people. It takes time to listen, fully listen, to someone’s heart. It takes time to “do what’s in front of you.” It takes time to go the extra mile.

Our society is in a hurry. We’re like busy, little ants, marching along with our heads down rushing from place to place. Sometimes, I think this gives us a sense of importance and accomplishment. But what are we accomplishing that could be more important than being available for Kingdom business? And Kingdom business is all about giving people time.

So a great way to give back to Jesus at this Season of celebrating His birth is to give Him time to fill us up with all His fullness and then take time to spill out His love, mercy, compassion, grace, conviction, righteousness, and holiness onto all we meet.

“Father, today we give ourselves fully to You. Mold us, make us into Your image. Speak into our lives. We give ourselves fully to Your service and whatever and whomever you place in front of us today. Amen”