Immanuel God With Us
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
Immanuel, God with us, is a profound concept that expresses the wonder of the incarnation. It signifies that Jesus, the Son of God, the second person in the triune God-head, became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). This means that God, in His infinite love, chose to be with us in the most intimate and personal way, sharing in our human experience.
The God of all creation, the Sustainer of all things, descended from the glories of heaven to dwell with His creation. Jesus took on flesh and came to earth as a baby, completely dependent on humanity. Love compelled Him to be with us.
John tells us that God SO loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
God with us was SO THAT we could be with God for all eternity. The birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus paved THE way for us to be with God and God with us, now and forever.
Jesus, in His promise to His disciples, revealed the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He said, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." This promise assures us that God's presence is not limited to a physical form, but is also manifested through the Holy Spirit, who dwells within all believers (John 14:16-17).
God invites us into a faith that always ensures He is with us. When we place our trust in Jesus as Savior, He sends us His Spirit to dwell within us.
In the Old Testament, God's people had to travel to the temple, the dwelling place of God. Once a year, the High priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, the true dwelling place of God. But, after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, we who have placed our trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord have become the temple, the Holy of Holies, where God chooses to dwell always.
Paul writes to the believers in Corinth, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
This indwelling of the Holy Spirit was prophesied by Jeremiah when he told the people in exile, “For this is the covenant that I [God] will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33).
Jeremiah prophesied this during a time when God’s people had been taken into captivity in Babylon. They were exiled from home and oppressed by their enemy. But God wanted His people to have hope that though they were facing hardship and less-than-ideal circumstances, He had not abandoned them; in fact, He would ensure He would always be with them.
Today, you might find yourself in hardship, circumstances where you feel as though God has abandoned you or at the least forgotten about you. Circumstances where the mantra seems to be: "It wasn't supposed to be this way." You might feel lost, alone, rejected, isolated, and even abandoned. This season might be filled with grief and sorrow. I want to encourage you with God's Truth from Deuteronomy 31:8: “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Whatever circumstance you are facing right now, your good Shepherd has gone before you to prepare a place for you that will be a place of rest, refreshment, and strength. The valley seems dark as we walk through it, but God is with us to get us through.
Whether you seek God in this season of life or run away from Him, the good news is you cannot escape God. He is with you always.
David acknowledges this truth in Psalm 139:7-10 “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
God is always with us no matter what valley we find ourselves in. He is there to lead us and hold us.
David assures us that the LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)
If this Christmas season is shaded with hurt or hardship, call out to the LORD, for He is near and ready to hold out His hand to you.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection, he told his disciples, "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Mathew 28:20)
God is always trustworthy. He has guaranteed us His presence.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
God wants us as we are SO THAT He can usher us into His life-transforming grace. He is the one who approaches us. Our choice is whether we open the door when he knocks.
God With Us-three life-changing words. God loves you SO much. He wants to be with you now and throughout eternity. People will disappoint. People will leave. God never will. There is no better day than today to put your faith in Jesus and believe that He is with you!