Why not me?

"Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10)

This concept has come up in conversations more times than I can count. When something unpleasant or tragic happens, people ask, "why me?". I'm not sure if this is a rhetorical question or if it's actually posed toward God and the one asking expects an answer. But I'm convinced that it's the wrong question.

Indignation at negative circumstances in our lives presupposes that we are good and only deserve what is good. As if our actions determine our rewards. Good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. Look around. Innocent children get cancer. Church-goers lose their jobs. Pillars of the community are killed by random crazy people. If life experience doesn't match up with Scriptural truth, then I'd better go back to God and His Word to see where I'm missing something.

I recently heard an interview with a famous actress, who was talking about a particular belief she had that didn't match up with what the Bible said. She actually started by saying, "I know what I've been taught and I know what the Bible says, but..." and went on to create her own philosophy based solely on her personal observations and logic, despite the fact that her stance was not biblical. This, to me, seems like the proverbial slippery slope. But all too common.

Sometimes people will say, "Well, the God I know wouldn't....." even when they can find evidence to the contrary in Scripture (if they would look for it). This puts them in a position of creating God in their image instead of learning how they were created in His.

Or someone will say, "How can I believe in a God who would allow this to happen?" As if God must jump through my hoops and perform according to my standards for Him to merit my worship. And when He doesn't I will reject Him or discount His very existence.

The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) No one is righteous. (Romans 3:10-11) It is only by God's grace and Christ's perfect sacrifice and His righteousness that we can stand before God at all. (Hebrews 7:24-28) So the first place we go wrong is by thinking that we are good. We are not.

The second place we go wrong is in assuming that our limited perspective on life is complete. It's not. God alone is omniscient. He is also loving and sovereign. So He knows what is best for everyone all the time and only He can bring it about. That doesn't mean that it will be good for me right now or that I will enjoy it. But I'm not God. And that's a good thing.

By the end of Job's story, even he has learned something about God and how He operates. He concludes his dialog with God by saying, "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you." (Job 42:5) Knowledge of God and experience with God are two very different things. The former leads us to the latter; in the latter we find life. And perspective. If we allow it, our negative circumstances will lead us into the presence of God, where we can find comfort, peace and intimacy with the One who made us. That is the reward.

Temporary Kitchen

Since my empty cabinets were taken away last week, and the installation doesn't start until today, I've set up a little makeshift galley downstairs in my laundry room. It's completely adequate for our temporary needs of breakfast and lunch, but we're going out for dinner every night. (I didn't think it would get old this quick, but I'm actually looking forward to cooking again!)

According to our expressed wishes and the images I've compiled in my head and from magazine and internet photos, the new kitchen should be beautiful. But I can't picture it. I only see the brown paper on the floor and painter's tape and boxes of cabinets stacked and ready to install. The sinks should be arriving today and the faucets will follow shortly. Some granite countertops I don't remember will also be a part of the new package. I'm told it will be stunning, but in the meantime, I can only wash a couple of plates at a time and my microwave is on the dusty floor. I just can't imagine what it will look like or feel like in my new space.

Would it surprise you to know I've made a connection to Scripture based on this setup? I didn't think so. Check out what Paul had to say about a temporary situation:

¹Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ²Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, ³because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷We live by faith, not by sight. ⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)

In his earlier letter to the same church he writes:

⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 
 ⁵⁵"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)

We are all living in a temporary kitchen! Even my new kitchen, with all its bells and whistles, will be a temporary one because this earth is not my home. We were made for something so much bigger and better – something our finite minds and vocabularies can’t begin to express.

But meanwhile we groan.

We have unfulfilled longings, but we live by faith.

We are burdened, but we have the deposit of the Holy Spirit, a guarantee of our future, imperishable glory.

My new cabinets, stacked and wrapped, adjacent to the space where they’ll be installed, are my deposit. I’m trusting that there are beautiful, solid, espresso-finished cabinets in there. The guys who unloaded them assured me they were and I’ve peeled back a corner or two of the cardboard to double-check, but I still just have to wait. So it is with the Holy Spirit in us, nudging us toward holiness and service, convicting of sin and reminding us of truth. Oh yeah, we remember. There is more.

So how do we live as if these bodies – these homes, these jobs, this shopping, this eating, this primping and striving and suffering – are temporary? Easter! There was a resurrection and there will be again! The perishable will be raised imperishable and Jesus will come again! Without Christ’s resurrection, there is no hope for us. No hope that we’ll be raised again. No hope that there’s anything better waiting for us than the temporary kitchens we’re living in now.

So in the meantime we make it our goal to please Him. We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We stand firm and give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. We remember the victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death. And we lean on the Holy Spirit, our deposit and guarantee of future glory, trusting Him to sanctify us and make us fit for our future homes.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! And that makes all the difference.

• What are you burdened by or longing for? How does the perspective of future glory and the resurrection encourage you?

For further reading:

• John 14:1-4 • 2 Peter 1:12-15

• Philippians 1:20-30 • Revelation 21

Being Ready

I had the most amazing and serendipitous conversation yesterday.

My son and I stopped by his friend's house to pick him up and take him to our house. Hoping I'd have a chance to say hello to his mom, we both went to the door. (Holy Spirit nudge? You decide...)

My friend Cathy was sitting in her kitchen with a friend I hadn't met yet (isn't that the greatest potential in meeting strangers?), chatting over glasses of Prosecco. Friday night girls' night - yes!

I can't describe the joy and energy I felt when I left (2 1/2 hours later!) from being filled up and connecting in a completely unexpected but delightful context.

We quickly moved past getting the previously unknown facts of life out of the way - how many kids? What do you do? Does your son play basketball? Do your boys have girlfriends? Then the really good stuff started: Views about God, church, homosexuality, Jesus, marriage, divorce...

I sensed God guiding our words, giving me confirmation of previous conversations, and blessing our dialog every step of the way. These women encouraged and challenged me with their observations and questions about my faith and I got to share as clearly and powerfully as the Holy Spirit has ever allowed me to the values Jesus taught in the Bible. I wouldn't have even known to ask God for such an opportunity or such a blessing! And there it was.

And do you know what I thought about this morning, as I reviewed the verbal and relational bliss in my head? Building in Times of Peace! (I do think of it a lot...) How was I able to recount, with such spontaneity, the stories Jesus told? Where did the conversation come from in the first place? Obviously the Holy Spirit prompted and led the entire interaction. In addition, I was able to recall Scripture I had studied over the years. We were able to build on hours in the bleachers at wrestling meets our sons had participated in. Pick ups and drop offs and sleepovers.

I looked up some verses in relation to being ready for conversations like this. Take a look:

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." (2 Peter 3:15)

Build in times of peace! Be ready. Whether we are aware of it or not, people are watching and they are wondering how this faith in Jesus thing works. As we wrestle with it and allow God to stretch us, He will gift us with opportunities to explain it and live it out in unexpected places. And even if the opportunities don't seem dramatic or overly grand in scope, they matter. They matter because God is in them and He is doing His work, letting us participate in supernatural, kingdom-building, life changing and life giving work. We get to do that! How? By being ready for it and building proactively by knowing His Word and building relationships.

Please don't hear what I'm not saying. The real beauty of last night's encounter was in its spontaneity. And the fact that only God's Spirit could have orchestrated the combination of personalities and the timing. But there is an element of preparation that plays into it, too. Because we don't know what future glorious conversations await us, every act of present obedience is a potential building block for them! I want to be ready when they come. Don't you?

Conversation with Vladimir

So here's a random conversation I had with Vladimir, the guy who came to paint our kitchen and patch up the walls yesterday. He came in the front door and I was sitting in a chair with my laptop. It went something like this:

Vladimir: Do you have picture of you like this?

Me: What?

Vladimir: I have seen picture of you before. You are writer, yes?

Me: Well, yes.

Vladimir: You have something in Christian book store?

Me: Uh... I wrote a Bible study?

Vladimir: What it is about?

Me: People in the Bible built something when there was peace so that when war started or hard times came they were ready. The study talks about how the same is true for us: if we build when there is peace, we'll be ready when hard times come.

Vladimir: That is good idea. More people should follow.

Me: I think so.

Then he went back to painting my kitchen. I still keep thinking someone put him up to it - you know, they said, "Hey my friend Jenni just had a Bible study published. It would be so funny if you said you recognized her. Yeah! Let's do it!" But Vladimir doesn't seem like much of a practical joker, so I'm not going to spend any energy or time trying to guess which one of my friends did it. I'll just chalk it up to a random conversation and mistaken identity. I do look a lot like Beth Moore...

Empty Cabinets

My kitchen cabinets are being taken away this week and replaced next week. I’m also getting new sinks, new faucets and a new dishwasher. Walls will be painted. Countertops will be installed. All of these activities are in passive voice because I’m not doing any of them myself. I’m incapable. I simply don’t have the skills. And to be completely honest with you, I don’t even want to.

My 13-year-old son kept wondering why we were stacking boxes of our belongings in adjacent rooms for the days preceding the demolition. For some reason he didn’t understand that the cabinets were being removed completely. Not painted. Not refinished. Not just having doors replaced. The look on his face this week when he came home from school to a kitchen of exposed appliances and wires hanging out of walls of various colors was priceless.

Being who I am, I can’t help but notice some spiritual analogies in this process. Exhibit A: empty kitchen cabinets.

Before Vitali and the boys came to dismantle my cabinets I spent hours emptying them. That’s the part I could do. I can empty and sort and throw away some of the contents of the cabinets so that Vitali could rip them out and bring me something beautiful and solid and lasting and new. Does it sound spiritual yet?

Could that be what I need to do in my life as well?

Are there attitudes or behaviors in my life that I need to eliminate so God can come in and do what only He can do?

Here’s an example I think He’s been revealing to me lately. For years I have been asking God to help me tame my tongue. (My husband says I have a “tone”…) I want to speak words of life instead of words of death. (Proverbs 18:21) I want to build others up and not tear them down. (Ephesians 4:29) I know that words can spark a great fire that warms or destroys. (James 3) But then I came across this passage in Matthew.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12:34)

Talk about a light bulb moment! It’s not just my tongue that needs taming – I have a heart problem! So my prayers changed from the moment of that realization. “Lord, what do I need to remove from my heart so my words will be different?” How can I empty my heart of what’s wicked so that God can replace it with His love, peace, joy, and compassion?

Spiritual analogy #1:

If I am a kitchen cabinet, I have to empty myself of myself so God can do something completely new and beautiful in my life.

This process is more than just confessing my sin.

It’s sober self-assessment.

It’s about brutal honesty before the One from whom nothing is hidden and everything is laid bare and uncovered. (Hebrews 4:13)

I can’t just say, “Lord, you know I’m a sinner and I’m going to try really hard to be better.” Too easy. Trying harder isn’t the goal and it’s not exactly the Scriptural outline for what God asks of us.

Here’s what Jesus said:

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25)

Deny myself. Take up my cross. Treat my life like it’s already over and belongs to someone else. Why? Because it does. We were bought at a price and we no longer live for ourselves but we live for the One who loves us and gave Himself up for us. (Galatians 2:20)

If God is going to come and make His home in us and transform us, we need to empty ourselves of the lies, the condemnation, righteous indignation, and the sinful behavior that gets in the way of us abiding with Jesus and allowing Him to do His kingdom work in us.

Even then it can still look pretty on the outside. But that’s a topic for another day.

• What needs to be emptied in your life so God can come in and do what only He can do?

Being “Ziddoh”

When one of my nephews was two or three years old, he had trouble with the letter L. They came out as Z’s in his words so we would hear him say how he had to stand in “zine” for some event at a carnival or how he dressed up as Chicken Ziddoh for Halloween. Ever since then, our family (and some friends along the way) has adopted his endearing trait when referring to things that are small in size or helpless and adorable.

Yesterday in church, during the worship music, I sensed God saying quite clearly to me, “You’re just ziddoh”. Not little, mind you; ziddoh. It wasn’t derogatory or reproachful. It was affectionate. Tender. When the sermon was supplanted with a series of presentations concerning ministry opportunities with the children in the church, I sensed a renewed desire and clarity of need to be connected to something larger than myself. Community that helps shape and inform my walk with God and allows me to see all the various aspects of His character. And not just so I have a place to flex my ministry muscles (although that is an important part of being in a community of faith), but also in order to hear from and see in others various aspects of God’s nature that I need to know.

Then, this morning, as I was preparing for a small group Bible study I’m part of, I read this passage as part of our text for the lesson:

⁷ "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. ⁹ So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1 Kings 3:7-9)

Solomon is ziddoh, too! And he knows it! The wisest and richest king in biblical history acknowledges with humility that he is only a ziddoh child and doesn’t know how to carry out his duties. Hey, me too! And my duties aren’t nearly as important as, say, building God’s temple or leading His chosen people. But I am a parent. I do invest in younger women as they grow in their knowledge and experience of God in a relationship with Jesus. I share my life with my friends and family members. I, like every follower of Christ, am salt and light in a world consumed by darkness and sin.

And I am a child.

A child of the Most High King.

Jesus told His disciples that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who receive it like children. (Mark 10:15)

The psalmist reminds us that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3)

Dependence on God is not an undesirable quality. Humility is not synonymous with weakness.

When we are dependent and humble, we are exactly where God wants us to be as His children.

As I’ve spent a harried few days preparing birthday celebrations, dinners, accommodations for out of town guests, and various reading and writing duties, I have spent much less contemplative time in God’s Word and His Presence than I usually do in a given week. All positive commotion, motivated by love and service, but busyness beyond my normal scope of activity. And I notice a difference in my disposition. Some of my friends like the term “social hangover” – a need for solitude when even the most extroverted among us find ourselves saturated by the company of others. That’s part of it. But more than that, I have become acutely aware in recent days of just how unlike Christ I would be – and am, in fact - when left to my own devices and desires.

I am by no means advocating time spent reading the Bible or praying as a guarantee of good character or that the lack of those things will bring about the demise of one’s integrity. We are incapable of working up our own good deeds and character by jumping through the hoops of spiritual disciplines. All of our good works are like filthy rags to a perfect and holy God.

We are, however, changed for eternity, starting here and now, when we honestly assess ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.[i] When we acknowledge that we are ziddoh. And needy. And we don’t have answers. And there are gaping holes in our character. We say hurtful things. We fall short of others’ expectations. And we put ourselves first. It’s what children do, I’m afraid.

At the same time, our genuine spiritual enthusiasm and spontaneous worship thrill our Father, who cares for us, protects us, and guides us as we grow. That’s also what children do. They respond to the overwhelmingly positive and unconditional love of a parent.

I’m learning to see more and more what the community of believers can do in me if I let them. Collectively, we are a force to be reckoned with. I need what they offer. If they need what I offer, that’s an extra perk. Where I see in prophetic black and white, my brothers and sisters manifest beautiful shades of color in compassion and service. When I see victory in keeping my mouth shut, I can be challenged further to speak words of encouragement and truth. My bold, raw, zealous nature is complemented by kindness, meekness, and genuine warmth.

I am not as complete or as lovely a specimen of God’s creativity alone as I am in community. He made me to love, to learn and leave a legacy that reflects His glory. How can I do that alone? There are other flavors to enjoy. And they all come together in Christ because when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. (1 Corinthians 13:10)

Father, manifest your complete and perfect love in your children as we come together in humility to serve you, worship you and reflect you to the world around us. Amen.

• Read 1 John 3:1-10. What are the advantages and responsibilities of being a child of God, according to these verses? How can involvement in genuine community help us reach maturity in these ways?

• Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Hebrews 5:11-13, and 1 Peter 2:2-3. Consider the balance of maturity and childlike faith. Reflect on your own relationship with God. How are you maturing? How are you remaining childlike? How can you balance the two?

• In what ways are you like a recalcitrant, misbehaved child? How are you like an adorable, lovable child? How can you more fully accept and embrace both sides of reality? This may be a topic to bring to God in prayer.

---

[i] C. J. Mahaney, Humility: True Greatness (Multnomah, 2005)

"P"

Middle of the movie. Popcorn consumed. Effects of jumbo soda inevitable. But when to leave? Will the car chase be long enough to rush out and back? Or will there be an essential gap in the plot line in the 60 seconds I’m gone? And with the interruption, however brief, comes the whispered question upon returning, “What did I miss”?

Sometimes we miss out on things. The plot of a movie. A conversation. A fun activity. Vital information in a meeting. And it can be maddening to have gaps in knowledge or experience. When it can’t be helped, it’s one thing. When we choose to leave a situation and pursue something else, even if only momentarily, the regret can be palpable.

Take Judas Iscariot, for example. After the Last Supper, when Jesus reveals Judas as the one who is about to betray Him, we learn that “as soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night”. (John 13:30) Both figuratively and literally, darkness had fallen. But take a look at what Judas missed by following his fear or greed or whatever prompted him to sell Jesus out to the religious leaders of the day:

³¹When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

³⁶Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" 


Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."

³⁷Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

³⁸Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

¹"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God trust also in me. ²In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴You know the way to the place where I am going." (John 13:31-14:4)

What perspective Judas missed by leaving Jesus’ side! He missed hearing about Jesus being glorified. He missed Jesus’ loving words about loving each other as He had loved them. He missed Peter’s query and declaration of devotion that caused Jesus to reveal Peter’s future denial. He missed hearing how Jesus was going back to the Father and preparing a place for His followers. He missed so much by leaving Jesus to pursue his own interests.

In the chapters that follow Judas’ departure Jesus describes how the Holy Spirit will come (John 14:15-31), what it means to remain connected to God (John 15), and He prays for His disciples and the world (John 16-17). In essence, Judas didn’t have any of the perspective or information he could have used to keep him from making the mistake of a lifetime. Are we in danger of making the same error? We can miss out on some “P’s” when we walk away from Jesus, even briefly, because of difficulties, defiance, or distractions.

Perspective – Judas didn’t see the big picture because he was focused on his own limited perspective. Regardless of the fact that Judas’ betrayal was part of God’s ultimate plan, the application remains: Judas made the wrong decision because he was acting on his own conclusions. We are often tempted to do the same thing. My sinful nature dictates that I put all circumstances through a self-centered filter. When I don’t like my circumstances, the only conclusion I can come to with that perspective is that God doesn’t care or that His plan isn’t working well or fast enough. But God is God and we are not. His ways and His thoughts are not like ours. (Isaiah 55) We see things clearly from the right perspective when we consult Him and bend to His will. Otherwise, our response to life’s circumstances will be at best, limited in their effectiveness, and at worst, dangerous to us and others.

Purpose – With his limited view of the situation, Judas couldn’t see the reason for Jesus’ actions and teachings. Jesus’ purpose on earth wasn’t to establish an earthly kingdom or to put the leaders of the day in their place. It wasn’t to elevate Himself or His followers to positions of power. His purpose was to redeem creation. To liberate all of mankind from the power of sin and death and deliver them over to their Father and Creator for eternal fellowship. THAT was the purpose He fulfilled in doing what He did. That purpose was clear but Judas didn’t get to hear or see that played out because he left at a crucial time in Jesus’ interaction with the others. When we distance ourselves from Jesus, we don’t get to hear His unique and loving words to us, telling us the purpose for which we were created. And not having that knowledge whispered to us again and again, from the heart of our Savior, lets us question our worth and gives the enemy a foothold to lie to us and defeat us. Conversely, God would have us tirelessly persevere in the purpose to which He has called us to serve Him and bring Him glory.

Proximity – Finally, the most heartbreaking of the effects of distancing ourselves from Jesus is that we are far from Jesus! The one thing the psalmist sought was to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of his life and to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD. (Psalm 27) The sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears wanted to be near Him. (Luke 7) A desperate, bleeding, isolated woman just needed to touch His robe. (Luke 8) Crowds pursued Him. Beggars, blind and lame sought Him. And when the disciple Jesus loved asked who would betray Him, he was reclining next to Him, leaning against Him. (John 13:23, 25) Regardless of our circumstances, there is no better place to be than as close to Jesus as we can possibly get. It is the only place to find rest for our souls, comfort in our suffering, and affirmation about our identities. Not only is it possible to be close to Jesus, it is preferable. Even when we perceive Him to be the source of our pain, there is no comfort away from Him – only momentary distraction. But purposing to remain close to Jesus should be our highest priority. Apart from Him we can do nothing.

Father, would you remove from our lives anything that keeps us from living in close proximity to you. Give us your perspective and reveal your purpose to us. And bring us back to your side when we find ourselves far away. Would your Presence be real and full and bold among us. Amen.

• Your only challenge/assignment this week is to meditate on the following verses and spend time drawing close to God. Quiet yourself and listen.

“The LORD your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

“Come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:8)

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

“…and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us’.” (Matthew 1:23)