Skip to main content

Immanuel God with Us


“Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23, NASB)
In these verses Matthew was quoting the prophet Isaiah, who seven hundred years earlier had foretold the birth of Jesus Christ. “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). 
Immanuel. God with us.
God with us. I have read these words often. So often, that they have become familiar. So familiar, that I ask myself: Have I lost the awe of what they really mean?
Immanuel. God with us.
This morning I decided to stop and ponder like Mary did.
God with us. 
How can this be? 
The God of creation, who spoke the universe into being, Who hung the stars on nothing and knows them by name. Who created the earth and all that is in it. 
The One who is, and was, and is to come. The Great I AM. The Most High over all the earth. 
God who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all. The light of the world. 
The heavens declare His glory  and the skies display the work of His Hands.
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Sovereign, Immortal, All Sufficient, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Infinite, Incomprehensible, Self Existent...Immanuel God with us!
God so awesome and yet He loved the world so much, He sent His Only Son to earth as a babe in a manger. The sinless One. Born to die and rise from the dead so we could have eternal life. 
Immanuel God with us.
Dear Christian, we have the greatest message of hope to give a hurting and dark world. Don't waste your time fighting the greeting. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. What does it matter? Surely God does not need us to defend Him? 
Instead let us go out and do what He asked of us. 
When Jesus was asked what was the most important commandment, He replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39 (NLT)
'Tis the season dear reader to show the love of God who came down to us. So don't hold back. Make the phone call, write the card, give the gift, share the cookies, whatever it takes to show the world the love of Our God. 
And then tell them of the hope you have because of...
Immanuel God with us.
Remember we love because He first loved us.
A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" Three days after Julius went home to the Lord, God had given me a promise. He had spoken to me from Psalm 77. Just like He had moved the nation of Israel, He was going to make a way through the deep waters of suffering that I was in. A way that I could not see, a way that I had to trust. I had to make a choice to move forward and believe that the waters would not drown me. (Is 43:2).  I had to believe Him. It is one year and 9 months and there are days even now when the waters seem to overwhelm and there are days when I see a glimpse of the path ahead. Through the prophet Isaiah He says: 'Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
5 comments
Read more

A Letter to My Grandson on His First Birthday

  My darling Baby D, Today is the twentieth anniversary of an event that changed the world forever.  This event that we call 9/11 is in your history books but it is a reality that I share with you. So much more has happened to this world since then. 2020 was the year of the pandemic - this time your reality more than mine. You actually got the dreaded covid bug. It has been a year and some of isolation, masks, vaccines and fear all around us.  Each new day makes our reality uncertain and changing all the time. And yet for me this is a day of hope. 9/11 of 2020 is what I will call it. I had prayed for over five years - sometimes fervently, sometimes desperately, sometimes, honestly not at all. I often got tired of waiting but my weak faith was not going to stop God’s plan.  A year has gone by and I have watched you grow from the tiny fragile little baby, to a  boy who cannot sit still. Oh what joy you bring to my heart. I love your welcome at the condo and your response when you hea
2 comments
Read more

What if the answer is NO?

Photo Credit: Julius M. Location: Monastery Door, San Antonio Texas Have you had the experience of hearing a word from God that later in the day makes more sense than at the time you heard it? In Isaiah 65:24 the Lord says" Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear." At a Jill Briscoe women's event yesterday Jill said something that intrigued me: "D o you have to see a prayer answered to trust God?" She had also said to listen with your heart and God will tell you why you are here this morning. It was a lovely morning, catching up with old friends that I had not seen for over a year. Lots of hugs and tears and promises (on my part) to meet for coffee, when time permits. I thought that was reason why I was there!! But no - there was a bigger reason. Later that night at my home - the conversation turned to prayer - specifically unanswered prayer. Back to Sunnybrook hospital - on our knees in a room ple
2 comments
Read more