Little Amelia points to the floor next to her and says, “Sit down, Lolly.” She has a game she wants to play or a book to read, or maybe she just backs up into my lap or grabs me around the neck and gives me the biggest hug she can muster. When we’re playing outside, sit down means she wants to play bubbles or sidewalk chalk. So I sit down and we play. Her frequent requests have me thinking what it must be like to walk around so far below all the faces and conversations, aware of everyone but wondering if anyone knows you’re there. I wonder if many people feel this way about God, knowing He’s up there, even referring to Him with a tilt of the head as the big man upstairs.
Thomas has another way of expressing the same frustration. Whether in the car or the kitchen, he will address me, saying, “You don’t talk to Mommy, Lolly.” It’s his way of joining the conversation that feels like it’s going on without him. He wants to know he’s being heard so he repeats himself again and again until he gets the desired response. He’s learning to politely say, “excuse me,” if he’s not getting the attention he desires, but sometimes we get wrapped up in our chatting and simply don’t stop to acknowledge him. There is One who’s always listening, always watching. We can talk to Him anytime, anywhere, confident that He hears and responds.
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.”
Psalms 139:1-4 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.139.1-4.NLT
Children are drawn to those who will stoop down to their level, interacting eye to eye with them. It’s one of the treasures slowly being stolen from our families, especially our children, by our handheld devices. We crave eye contact. We long to be seen, heard, understood. Christmas reminds us that God knelt down to join our world, the world He created, so that we don’t need to wonder. Immanuel, God with us, made a way for Holy Spirit, God in us. (Isaiah 7:14, John 14:16)
“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”
Psalms 139:17-18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.139.17-18.NLT
““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.3.16.ESV
God paid the ultimate price for humanity to be reconciled to Himself. The infinite entered into the finite and did the unimaginable- He took the sin of the world on Himself to satisfy the wrath of God. The King of all creation submitted to human authority for a time to right a great wrong. We were deceived by the god of this world, but Jesus died and was raised again to open our eyes to the Truth. More than that, He dwells with us and in us, teaching and reminding us of His Words. (John 14:26) He has not left us as orphans, cast off, forgotten, to fend for ourselves. He is always with us!
“I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”
Psalms 139:7-12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.139.7-11.NLT
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
John 1:5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.1.5.NLT
This holiday season, hear anew God’s invitation to sit down with Him. Hear Him inviting you into conversation. Open your Bible and speak to Him face to face, eye to eye, heart to heart. He loves you and He’s waiting.
“Abide in me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
John 15:4-11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.15.9-11.ESV
“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.””
2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT
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