During seasons of suffering and pain, God can seem far away and distant.
But God loved the world so much – He sent His only Son to remind us all we are never alone and He is always with us!
This Christmas season, despite the difficult year you may have had or the very real struggles in your life, never lose sight of this one important truth…
… you are not alone!
Isaiah 7:14 declares: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Immanuel literally means, “God with us” or “With us is God.”
How incredibly beautiful!
Every name for Jesus is full of hope, and ‘Emmanuel’ reminds us of the promises of God.
We may sing “Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel” each Christmas without actually dwelling on the significance in this word’s meaning.
Jesus came down from heaven and humbly allowed Himself to be born in a manager – fully God, and fully man – knowing He would display His ultimate love for us by suffering on the cross so we could be reunited with God for all eternity.
He literally walked the world “with us” and showed us how to live out our faith.
And while we may know these truths, when life gets tough we often forget the magnitude of this miracle.
After all, life is hard and we live in a broken and fallen world.
In addition, we have an enemy – the father of all lies – who wants us to believe that God is far away and doesn’t care about our everyday struggles.
But the truth is, God is omnipresent and everywhere all of the time. And yes – He does care!
Even better, He has promised to never leave or forsake His children who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.
So this Christmas season, take heart and find peace knowing God is with us!
While you lean on the confidence and joy in knowing this life-changing truth, use this season as an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with those around you.
As famous preacher Charles Spurgeon exclaimed to his congregation on Christmas Eve in 1854, “Oh may God teach you the meaning of that name Immanuel, ‘God with us’.”
Those who don’t know Christ may especially feel lonely after this tough year – or other believers you know may be buying into the lie that God is far away or has forgotten them.
But you have the beautiful opportunity to remind them of the truth – that God is with us.
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” — Matthew 1: 21-23
Oh come let us adore Him!
(h/t Christian Life Daily)