Here is the promise we have waited for.
He will not leave us in the dark.
Come Lift Him High; Behold the Savior!
It’s September. September 19th, actually.
The night before my birthday.
I love the start of “new years”. I’m a huge fan of the first day of each year. January 1st is always so full of promise and hope, in my eyes. Maybe that’s a bit idealistic. It probably is. But I can’t help it; I’ve always been that way—New Year’s Resolutions, Goals, Plans—turning over the proverbial “new leaf.” A fresh slate. 365 laying before me–a chance to “start over.”
But, as we all know, about 3–or 4–or 6 months into the year, those goals and aspirations start to fade. We abandon them, or we start to lose interest in them. We skip a day or two in our quest to do something–eat right, exercise right, reading the Bible every day, anything–and soon we try not to think about our goals or resolutions because we are so far behind we know we will never catch up.
I’ve always thought myself fortunate, because my birthday falls in September–not exactly half-way through the year, of course–but a great time to “start over”, nonetheless–with school starting back (also a favorite of mine) and the fall weather approaching–good stuff. Fresh slate. New beginnings.
As such, I typically take a night before, on or immediately after my birthday, to be a bit introspective. (Ok, who are we kidding, I’m always introspective.) I like to take stock of the previous year, and look to the new year, to see what I might need to work on, or what goals I may be able to set and reach, or maybe renew goals I already have in place.
Tonight, after arriving back at my hotel from my work site, I was all prepared to do that.
And, immensely looking forward to it.
However, a Christmas song changed my plans.
Yes–you read that right–a Christmas song.
I had grabbed dinner downstairs in the lobby, and had brought it to my room. While I ate, I pulled up Christmas music that we’ve begun to listen to in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. I wasn’t paying too much attention to it though, until the third song began.
He is the promise we have waited for. He will not leave us in the dark.
I’ve heard this song dozens of times. We sang it a couple of years ago, in our Christmas musical at church, and now we are singing it again. But never has it impacted me like it has tonight.
He is the promise that I had waited for, for so long–though I didn’t even realize that it was what the ache in my soul longed for–the truth of who He is.
And now, here it is, my birthday eve, and I am fully cognizant that apart from who He is, and what He did in coming to mankind as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes on that night that must have been terrifying for Mary and Joseph, and then what He did on the cross in the shedding of His blood as a sacrifice for my sins on what must have been a terrifying night for my Lord and Savior–all the goals I may set for myself on this night are meaningless. All the introspection in the world is worthless, apart from Him.
Oh, I’ll still set goals. I’ll still be introspective at some point this week. But tonight, I was moved to worship and thank Him for who He is–and how He has saved me, both literally–in so many ways, from so many dangers—and eternally–in the granting of salvation to my soul and His adoption of me into His family.
I wrote much, in response to that song, earlier this evening. I briefly thought of sharing those words here, but sometimes such prayers are sacred words, meant for our Savior’s ears only. That’s where this song led me tonight, pounding the keyboard from the depths of my soul–in grief, in joy, and in gratitude.
But even though I decided against sharing that here, I do not want you to miss out on the intense beauty of this Christmas song, here in the midst of September, so I’ve placed both the lyrics and the song below–read through the lyrics as you listen. The words and notes proclaim truth regardless of if the snow is falling, or if the trees are budding in spring, or if the sun is blazing hot in summer, or if the leaves are turning colors in the fall.
And then I also wanted to share the scriptures with you, that I was drawn to in my prayer this evening–because while music does capture beautifully the truth of scripture, they only are a shadow, or reflection, of the truth of the words we find within the Bible, given to us as a gift of revelation of who He is–our Lord and our God.
Behold the Savior
Oh what innocence
Sleeping in a manger under dreamless skies
See the newborn King,
Trading every glory for a silent night
Here is the promise we have waited for.
He will not leave us in the dark.
He will bear our weight, He will wear our shame,
Come lift Him high, behold the Savior!
Jesus Christ, Law of love and light,
Come lift Him high, behold the Savior!
Veiled deity,
Praise of every angel, shepherds bowing low.
Sweet humility,
Mercy as a baby, God in flesh and bone.
Here is the promise we have waited for,
He will not leave us in the dark.
He is the promise we have waited for,
The cry of every searching heart!
He will bear our weight, He will wear our shame,
Come lift Him high, behold the Savior!
Jesus Christ, Law of love and light,
Come lift Him high, behold the Savior!
(meredith adams)
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed. Psalm 34:4-5
Behold the Savior
