Monday, November 28, 2011

Christmas Is Now Drawing Near at Hand


I received a comment from a reader today who is searching.  He wants to believe in God again and is having trouble finding his way.  I tried my best to answer his questions and point him in the right direction.  Later, I heard this song by Steve Winwood.  It's called "Christmas is Now Drawing Near at Hand" and it can be found on A Very Special Christmas 3 (Track 14).  

When I heard it, it made me stop dead in my tracks.  It's just so beautiful and haunting and speaks right to our world.  It seems so different from most of the classic or modern renditions of Christmas carols that you always hear.  It's just amazing.  

I am dedicating this song to my new friend "C" and to anyone else reading this who might be questioning, who might be searching.  Keep reaching out to God, and He will take your hand.  The Christmas season is the perfect time to ask Him to make himself known to you and to help you to believe again.  It is a gift that He stands waiting and willing to give to you.

Now to give this song a listen, you'll have to click on over to YouTube, however, I've copied the lyrics here:

Christmas is now drawing near at hand
Come serve the Lord and be at his command
And God a portion for you will provide
And give a blessing to your soul beside

Down in the garden where flowers grow in ranks
Down on your bended knees and give the Lord thanks
Down on your knees and pray both night and day
Leave off your sins and live upright, I pray

So proud and lofty is some sort of sin
Which many take delight and pleasure in
Whose conversation God doth much dislike
And yet He shakes His sword before He strikes

So proud and lofty do some people go
Dressing themselves like players in the show
They patch and paint and dress with idle stuff
As if God had not made them fine enough

Even little children learn to curse and swear
And can't recite one word of godly prayer
Who'll teach them better or teach them to rely
On Christ the sinner's friend who reigns on high

4 comments:

  1. Wow. Thank you so much for sharing that.

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  2. Woo-hoo! Great new discovery. OK, maybe "woo-hoo" isn't an apt description, but I have always liked Steve Winwood and am glad you found this for us.

    Thanks!

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  3. I love this part: "They patch and paint and dress with idle stuff/As if God had not made them fine enough."

    The melody is haunting and somehow archaic, which I love.

    Thanks, Jocelyn. Great find.

    =)

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