When you're too close to see.

Published: Dec. 11, 2016, 10 a.m.

It's supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year." But it usually doesn't feel like it. Between deadlines and decorating, shopping and baking, the countdown to Christmas can easily become more of a burden than a blessing. Thankfully God’s Word reminds us to prepare patiently. Like John the Baptist, we may want to see the judgment, power, and glory immediately. And yet, just as those things came after the defeat, denial, and sacrifice for Jesus, so they did for John and so they will for us. As we wait, we don’t always see God’s plan for our lives. As a result we must listen to and cling to his promises.