journey onWord with us

Is it at all surprising that the God of the Universe wants the very same thing as every child (from small to tall) for Christmas? He spells it a bit different, but they are altogether the very same thing.  He spells it … presence. It was the thing most on my heart and mind this week as I began to consider the “present” tense (of the translated word for Advent). The focus for this second Sunday of Advent is … Come.

My week began with a somewhat heavy heart. This season is certainly not immune from burden. In the quiet of my Monday morning with God, my soul began to sing a song. It was the kind of prompt I’ve come to expect from a lavishly gracious Father, unexpected and so beautifully needed.

“I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord.
No tender voice like thine, can peace afford.
I need thee, oh I need thee.  Every hour I need thee.
Oh, bless me now my Savior, I come to thee.”

I hummed the verses more than I sang them. The words were clear in my mind, and the penetrating vibration settled them into the very center of my soul. Their truth and comfort washed over me. I experienced His peace.

I live far too much of this life under the power of my own trying. I like to share with others that I give things over to God. I cast my cares. But I’m really not certain that would hold up under cross-examination (double meaning fully intended). I am praying for others more than I ever have. I am beginning to experience the truth that prayer is not “just” what we can do, but it is rather the very best that we can do. I feel privileged to pray for others, but somehow I can’t shake the more powerful urge to do something. I love (beyond love) to listen, but oh how much I can fail in talking too much in response. “I need thee every hour” feels like something I should sing … and live. It should be my posture and prayer.  But I am quite sure it is much more of a heart cry than an everyday pattern in my life.

I love how the verse ends. “Oh, bless me now my Savior.  I come to thee.”  I believe it’s because I’ve just recently had a meaningful experience of, “I come to thee.”  For too long my time with my God and Savior has been broken. I’ve allowed a myriad of things to crowd Him out or distract my attention when I am present with Him.  I’ve double-dipped in my time with Him; using the time to accomplish other good purposes – multi-tasking the sacred (man, is that convicting when I say it out loud).

In this season of Advent I have come. And it has been good. If your experience recently (or maybe for longer than you’d care to admit) has been at all like mine, I would encourage you – I would invite you – to come to Jesus.  In this season of Advent, come.  Far more than the presents you give, make this season about the presence you give.

I have deliberately not defined this invitation to come. My own experience of it has been so rich, mainly because I’ve not tried to define it. I’ve not scheduled or announced it. I’ve not tried in my own power. In your choosing to come, insist on it being as He chooses.

In this season of Advent, come.