He Who Is Coming
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, 'In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.' " (Hebrews 10:35-37 NIV)
1384.
That's the number of references that came up when I searched for the word "come" in the Bible using one of my favorite on-line Bible study resources.
1384.
Of course, not all of these are in invitation, but those that are especially woo us to the heart of our welcoming God.
" 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people' " (Matthew 4:19).
" 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest' " (Matthew 11:28).
" 'Come,' he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus" (Matthew 14:29).
"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these' " (Matthew 19:14).
God bids us come always, but in one particular season of the year, we specifically return the invitation to Him—although from us, it is more of a plea.
Advent comes from the Latin word "advent," meaning "to keep coming closer."
"To keep coming closer."
Honestly, I think that has to be one of the most perfect things I've learned in a long time.
Jesus already came as close as it was possible for Him to come when He voluntarily left heaven, put on a full cloak of humanity without ever once compromising His divinity, and showed up on earth in a stable. To everyone who invites Him in, He remains "never-will-I-leave-you" close. He came, and He is coming again.
I believe the "coming" of Advent is for us.
"To keep coming closer" has a constancy, a perpetual movement to it. This is not only for one season of the year or for one season of our lives. We can always come closer to God. He is not moving away from us, of course; He is just so big, so grand that we never run out of new territory to explore.
"Come!" we cry out to Jesus, and He replies, "I did. I'm here. I'm with you. I'm not going anywhere. Come to me. Take an Advent journey.
"Come, with your hurts and your longings and your sins and your past and your questions and your messes and your burdens and your brokenness. Come with your joy, praise, worship, and adoration.
"Come. Keep coming closer. Don't give up. Your reward is waiting."
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!