Come, Thou long-expected Jesus

Hope: He who is, and who was, and who is to come.

Written by: Charles Wesley
Performed by: Meredith Andrews

Well, in case you weren't keeping track, it's been quite some time since I've created one of these devotionals based upon songs. As I began an Advent devotional this past Sunday and we started our Advent series at our local church, I felt an ever-small prompting from the Holy Spirit that it was time to start another one. So, here it goes.

In the first week of Advent, many focus on the hope we have in the arrival of our Messiah. My personal devotional focuses on hope in its first week. Funny enough, our church's Advent series focuses on a new Christmas song each week tying the anticipation of Jesus' birth to the anticipation we have of his second coming. In case you haven't guessed yet, this week's song was "Come, Thou long-expected Jesus." Many of the promptings in this week's devotional rely heavily on the thoughts interwoven throughout the personal devotional I am going through and my pastor's sermon this week. However, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I have also felt called to dig a bit deeper and ask myself some deeper questions which I also pose to you throughout the week within the devotional.

God has spoken to me in this first song of Advent season in reminding me of His words in Revelation 1:8 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty" (added emphasis mine).Oh, what hope I find in just remembering God has always been, He is right now, and He forever shall be! He is the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Throughout this week, we see God pointing Israelites to past faithfulness, reassurance in His current faithfulness, and promises of his future faithfulness. I think He speaks that faithfulness over each one of us as well. With the end of the year upon us and a new year drawing near, we can each take time, even in the bustle of holidays, to praise God's faithfulness in the past, now, and in the future. I don't want to miss that opportunity. Do you?

My prayer for you this Advent season is that you grow closer to your Savior, our Messiah. May you never take for granted the joyful expectation of His birth, but also of His coming return. May we each be prepared for the day of His second coming.

As a small side note: The selection I chose for the performing of this song adds some additional lyrics that are not included in Charles Wesley's original work. However, I love the modern take on this classic hymn. The actual daily devotionals only focus on the original work by Charles Wesley.