Sunday Devotional: Psalm 130 ~ Emmanuel shall come

One of the things I love about the Christmas season is having more reason to listen to a handful of favorite carols that, to me, serve as much as worship songs as anything. Probably my favorite, in any arrangement and style, is “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” There’s something universally appealing about a song of any age or season that touches upon our deepest aches and longings, and points us to the hope of a Savior, and we see that all over the psalms.

This one, especially, resonates with the theme of Christmas. Keep in mind as you read that Emmanuel means God with us.

Psalm 130 (NKJV) ~ A Song of Ascents.

O Come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel ...

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
² Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.

... that mourns in lonely exile here ...

³ If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.

... until the Son of God appear ...

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
⁶ My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
⁸ And He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

He is our Savior, in any time, in any season. He came once ... He shall come, yet again.

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One of my favorite versions of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” was sung by 70’s Christian artist Evie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CohbAHsUk2w