Advent 2016 Day 7
TRADITIONS Part 2
I don’t know why certain Christmas songs stick in our memory the way they do. Hopefully your favorites go beyond Mariah Carey singing “All I Want for Christmas is You.” But I’m not judging. I have Christmas favorites that have the power to evoke memories of past experiences still today.
One of my favorite carols is a song titled “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” It spoke to me first, I think, while a student at Southern Seminary in Louisville in the early 80’s. While there the church Pam and I served sang that song. I had personally never heard it before. The context of this inner-city church and wrestling as I was in that period with God’s call came together to embed this song into my heart.
It is not Christmas for me until I hear it! The melody and words of this song transport me back to Christmases when we didn’t have a lot; early days in our marriage before we became parents, but were “parenting” hundreds of inner-city kids through our ministry. Our gifts to each other in that season were small… and our love was great.
And when I heard that song, and sang the words of the chorus it reminded me that God was bringing something greater to pass in us as we had trusted and followed Him by faith to a strange place called Louisville. And that the promise He had made to us is He would see us through.
He did. God always keeps His Word. He promised through prophecy after prophecy that “Immanuel” would come. And Immanuel came. And He has promised that He will come again.
And Immanuel… will come!
Rejoice.
FOR MEDITATION: The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and bring forth a son and you will call Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14
FOR REFLECTION: What promise has God made to you? Don’t grow discouraged as you wait for Him to keep it. He always will.
