O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

I spent a quiet and wonderful Thanksgiving Day with Jeff, Amy, and the two precious "grands". After lunch, the three of us nestled on the downstairs couch and watched a movie that, in the ending, seemed that the good had died so the wicked would perish also. Alicia and MaMa were tearing up and my boy, who seems to live life this way, announced "Let's look on the bright side of things!"

Today, I want to share that there is something, rather, Someone, Who makes Christmas far brighter than the dazzling light displays, the glistening tinsels, and the beautiful wrapped presents underneath the tree. We, as a culture, I know, have forgotten the real Reason for the season. (Pardon the cliche.) If you doubt that, listen to the "Christmas" music, watch the "Christmas" specials, and too, you might note the threatened lawsuits every year that a city might would even think of putting a nativity scene on their square. What are they thinking, the politically correct crowd, exclaim?!?!   If it wasn't so sad, it would almost be humorous, wouldn't it?  To the world, I say, Christmas is, by definition, the celebration of Christ's birth so it makes much sense to us that a manger scene is totally appropriate!  To Christians, I write today to remind us how easily we can get caught up also with the peripherals instead of keeping the main theme of Christmas the main theme. The glory of Christmas is that the prophecy of Isaiah, some 600-700 years before Christ came as a Baby, actualized in a stable in Bethlehem. "Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."  Translated from the Hebrew, the word means "God with us."  Don't rush over that but try to fathom the unfathomable that God came to us and praise His Name for it because, we like stubborn, silly sheep, would never find our way to Him!

Amy shared a new Christmas song last year with me by Casting Crowns and the beautiful female voice singing the beautiful lyrics ministered to my heart yesterday morning as I traveled to worship services. She sings- "God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Immanuel."  As I drove my car, I thought of the verse which says- "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" Col.1:27.  Rom. 8:3 rang in my ears :"If God be for us, who can be against us?" Of course, the answer to the rhetorical question is that no one can.  In fact, while reading Isaiah 7 yesterday morning, I continued into chapter 8 because it was so good and was captured and comforted by these words in vs. 10."Take counsel together and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us." There it is again, Immanuel.  I love the way the word sounds but love even more the One Who bears the Name, He Who is with me today come rain or shine, He Who is in me as my Guide and Comforter, and He Who fights my battles because He is for me. He is for you, Christian brother and sister. Soak that up, it will bless you. Your enemy wants to accuse and try to convince you that He is against you but no, no, no, if you are His by grace  through faith in His finished work on your behalf, He is in you, He is for you, He is with you- Immanuel!

Rejoice with me, Pilgrim, that He came and dwelt among us. That's the crux of the Christmas story and my hope in the following month is to share it with you by using some of the Christmas music that has been written, this one today back in the 12th century and some that is rich with meaning that has recently been penned by people who still know what Christmas is all about. Meditate on these rich words from O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, today, words like He is the Lord of might! He is El Gibbor, the Mighty God. He is strong for you today.  The writer of the old hymn uses the term DaySpring- yes, He is our Light. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light."  He is the Key of David! Praise His Name- He has unlocked the prisons and set the captives free!

"O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. O come, O come, Thou Lord of might who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height, in ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save and give them victory over the grave. O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here; O drive away the shades of night and pierce the clouds and bring us light. O come, Thou Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home where all Thy saints with Thee shall dwell- O come, O come, Emmanuel! Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel."

Looking on the bright side of things today, Deborah