The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means 'God with us' (Matthew 1:23).
I was listening to KLOVE, a Christian radio station, and on came a version of Immanuel. I don’t even remember who was singing it. As I was driving along, the words “God With Us” gripped me as never before. Having just spent a morning laying out my heavy heart before God over all the brokenness in the lives around me, those three little words came alive in my spirit in a way I have never encountered before.
God With Us! God with us in our pain. God with us in our disappointments. God with us in our struggling relationships. God with us in our illness. God with us in our depression. God with us in our loss. God with us in our grief. God with us in difficult medical news. God with us when we go to work. God with us when we’re tired. God with us when we’re happy. God with us when we’re sad. God with us when we’re broken. God with us. Period! That’s the whole message of Christmas summed up, isn’t it? Because of Christmas, we will never have to walk through this life alone, as God is and always will be with us.
For our sake, God came down to earth in a dirty stable entering this world as a baby to walk with us in our humanity all to be with us. He is not a God who doesn’t care or is far removed from what happens in our lives. No… He is very much with us and aware of every single thing we have faced in the past year and will face in the year to come. I don’t know about you, but that is good news! It’s awesome news! It’s a reality I need to remind myself of over and over again, especially when I’m faced with the tough times in life and as I walk out of this year and into the next one not knowing what is ahead.
We will find the true peace our hearts need as we rest in the living presence of Immanuel. Where do you need to remember that “God is With You?” Let that reality sink in and give you hope today and as you look to the coming year—and take a few moments this Christmas season to thank God for the promise of His presence with you!
