The Presence of Immanuel: An Invitation to Advent
I, for one, adore Christmas. I love the music–the jazzy, the cheezy, the carols–the twinkling lights, the togetherness of family, the gifts, and the food. Oh, the food … but, before I start drooling and daydreaming of that most wonderful time, I want to awaken my heart to what truly matters. Who truly matters.
You do, too. That’s why you’re here, right? Because you know Christ is more important than the holly jolly, and, in the midst of it all, you want to know him. You want to experience the presence of Immanuel, God with us, in the everyday moments of your life. You want to come and behold Him on more than just a Sunday morning. You want him to meet you, right where you are, and be absolutely certain that he will never leave.
If that’s not yet your desire, I pray that it will be as you explore the celebration of Advent this year.
Advent, in the church tradition, is a month-long time to prepare one’s heart for the coming, the advent, of Jesus. Call it Catholic or Christian or whatever you want, the point is to give direction and focus to our thoughts as we anticipate the Messiah. This remembering is beautiful and brimming full of meaning, and if you haven’t done it before I think you will absolutely love joining hearts with thousands around the globe who are practicing similar acts of remembrance and preparation at the same time.
If you long to experience the presence of Immanuel, abiding in his hope, peace, love, and joy, I’d like to invite you to join me in a beautiful way to practice Advent that will awaken our hearts throughout the day to his nearness.
Practice Abiding this Advent
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me.
Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the Lord’s wrath,
until he pleads my case
and upholds my cause.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.
Morning Meditation
Meditate on the verses above by reading them aloud two times. Ask the Spirit to open your ears to anything He might be saying to you. Read it aloud one more time, paying careful attention to where your heart says, “Yes!” and to where it pulls back even the slightest bit in doubt. Sit with the phrases or words that stirred you, and let the Lord reveal what He wants to in these next few moments.
Afternoon Prayer
Inhale: I watch in hope
Exhale: for you, Lord
Pause from the scurry of your day to breathe this prayer in and out. Let your breaths come slow and steady as you recite this verse. Put it somewhere visible and breathe it slowly every time you see it.
Evening Reflection
Before you go to bed, give yourself ten undistracted minutes to reflect. Put all the screens well out of reach and sit down with your journal or a notebook. Prayerfully reflect on these questions:
- When did I sense the presence of Immanuel most clearly today?
- When did I feel the most distant from His love?
- What is God saying to me about hope right now?
Awake to His Presence
No one and nothing can enliven your heart, brighten your days, and nourish your soul like Immanuel. Every moment spent awake to his presence is a moment lived in the fullness of joy and the light of eternity.
Jesus came to be with you. And he is coming again to take you to be with him.
Let’s awaken to his nearness and abide in his love as we both celebrate his birth and long for his return this Advent season.
This devotional is an excerpt from An Abiding Advent: Five Weekly Devotions to Awaken Your Heart to Immanuel. You can get the full, free printable at the link above.
is a country girl and a city girl. An introvert and a socialite. A homebody and an adventurer. But mostly, she’s simply Abba’s child. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, Troy, and they live in Thailand with their two full-of-life kids and two chubbier-than-most hamsters. She’s the author of Colliding with the Call: When Following God Takes You to the Wilderness, and her heart is to see people connect deeply with Jesus. You can find her at corellaroberts.com.
Photograph © Jan-Henrik Franz, used with permission
