Sunday's Sentiments - He Knows Our Needs

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, to our weakness He is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend! 

Heard this verse to O Holy Night today -  which got me thinking not only of this scripture:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but on who in every respect has been tempted as we are,
yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4:15-16)

But of a discussion we had around the lunch table last week.

Last year, we studied ancient history - from Creation until the Fall of the Roman Empire.  And one of the things that we saw so clearly, over and over again, was the insufficiency of the ancient gods.  The "otherness", the aloofness, their whims and caprices, remoteness, and inaccessibility.  The ancient gods were feared, worshiped, placated,  dreaded. . . . . . . . .

But never with us.  Never sympathizing.  Never taking on our weakness.

Until.

Immanuel.  God with us.