Jesus, The Desire of Nations

Jesus, The Desire of Nations by Larry Sparks Day 20 Advent Devotional

Day 20 of the “What Child is This?” Advent Devotional

…and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations,and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:7)

Let Earth receive her king! As nations shake, they are also longing for the unshakeable. People across the Earth are desperate to fill the void within. They have a desire that goes unfulfilled. They run to and fro, looking for the latest, greatest “it” that promises to satisfy, but in the end, they are still found wanting. There may be temporal satisfaction in a feeling or a relationship or a career or some other good thing, but when we assume these are the very things that possess the ability to close the gap in the core of our very being, we are sorely mistaken.

The deep cry of the human spirit will not be silenced by anything earthly. In Psalm 42:7, we read that “Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls.” If the deep within you is not being satisfied by the deep of God, it will continue to call for the waterfall of His Presence. It will cry out. Nothing can silence it. We may try to turn the volume down for a season, but when all is said and done, the deep of the human spirit will continue to cry out for the deep of God’s Spirit.

Now consider this. You carry the very Person and Presence that the deep place of all humanity longs for. The very spirit of men and women across the Earth cries out for the Spirit of God that lives inside of you. Advent made this possible. Jesus modeled what it would look like to carry the Presence of God, as a human being, and introduce people to the greater reality of the Kingdom of God. This is the reality that all humanity seeks. Sin is what blinds humanity from having an instant “ah-ha” moment, seeing the Light of the Gospel, and running towards King Jesus with wide open arms.

The One Who lives inside of you is the One all nations long for. The Great Gift has been given. Christmas has come. I pray that you would experience a deep revelation of this powerful reality this season. Let’s slow down and not be as inclined to hurry through this precious time—a time where, it seems, the blinders are down a little more than usual. Now, more than any other time of year, that crying, aching deep within the core of humanity is restless for the One Who lives within you.

In Haggai 2:7, we see that the nations shall come to the Desire of all Nations, a temple filled with glory. Because of Jesus, this is you! You are the temple filled with glory because you are filled with the Holy Spirit. As you go through this Christmas season, keep this in mind. What an amazing gift we have received in Christ Jesus, not just for the sake of our own soul, but for the sake of a longing, desperate world!

Advent Prayer

Holy Spirit, open my eyes to the Truth that because of You, the Desire of All Nations now lives inside of me. 

When I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, that deep cry of my spirit was satisfied, for only Jesus can fulfill that longing.

Get the entire “What Child is This?” Advent Devotional from Larry Sparks on Amazon Kindle today. Just click the image or link below.

What Child is This? Advent Devotional by Larry Sparks

Buy the “What Child is This?” Advent Devotional on Amazon Kindle Now
Larry Sparks About Larry Sparks

Larry Sparks is host of Life Supernatural, a weekly radio program that features bestselling authors, emerging filmmakers, and key ministry leaders. In addition to serving as the Director of Curriculum Resources for Destiny Image Publishers, Larry is president and founder of Equip Culture Ministries—an organization that equips believers with tools and resources to experience a life of sustained victory through the supernatural power of God. He lives in Florida with his wife and daughter. You can visit his website at www.lawrencesparks.com and follow him on Facebook Larry Sparks or on Twitter @LawrenceVSparks.