Monday Eye-Opener: Near to All Who Call

As we look forward to the New Year and Epiphany, I carry favorite words and phrases of Advent in my heart. One of them is “Immanuel.” I remember singing the word “Immanuel” in Christmas carols as a child, and thinking it was such a pretty word. I didn’t know that it meant “God with us,” but I still loved to sing that word in Hark the Herald Angels Sing!. Now that I know the meaning of the word, I treasure it even more.

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (ESV)

“God with us.” Not just this Monday morning, but always and everywhere. His grace and truth leading us, following us, surrounding us. 

“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” Psalm 145:18



God is nearer still when we call upon Him. He is within us when we call upon him “in truth” — sincerely and confidently. 

“Oh come, oh come, Immanuel,” we sang in the weeks leading up to Christmas, “and ransom captive Israel.” Ransom our hearts and minds as well, from whatever holds us captive — worry, illness, anger, loneliness, or simply the dread of a new week. We earnestly call upon You, grateful for the knowledge that You were born in a dark time, but overcame the darkness.

Let’s recall the word “Immanuel” often and with gratitude as we approach a new year. 
Peace!

Ready and Unsteady

At my church’s Christmas Eve service last night, we recited a call to worship that I needed to hear. It was Madeleine L’Engle’s First Coming, which begins:

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

As we recited these lines, my thoughts immediately turned toward national and global issues: international conflict, refugees, climate change. I had needed that reminder that God sent his Son in a time of deep anguish. Jesus walked among us as we were, not as He hoped we would be.

But during my quiet time today, it occurred to me that L’Engle’s poem also speaks to me as an individual. How many times have I shied away from a prompting or calling, feeling “unsteady” and certainly not “ready”? But we have a God who works in us when we step into God’s plan.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

It defies conventional wisdom, doesn’t it? So many times we are required to pass a test, prove our qualifications, list our experiences, produce references. It’s no wonder that we shrug off that calling, assuming that God “can’t mean me.”

This year, I’ve challenged myself to follow those promptings. I began the formation process and took my novice vows for the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans. I volunteered to teach an adult Sunday School class. After months — years, actually — of discernment, I am considering training to become a spiritual director.

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

Do I feel qualified to do by of these things? Nope. For now I will rest in the knowledge that God’s perspective is a heck of a lot better than mine. If I am correctly discerning a calling, the necessary guidance and pathways will be there if I cooperate. And God’s loving course corrections will keep me moving toward His purpose for my life.

So take heart in God’s purpose for your life. As Madeleine L’Engle wrote,

“We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice.”

Season’s blessings to you!