Immanuel: God with You

Hi there! I hope your year is off to a wonderful start and God’s presence is evident to you.

This devotion will continue with our words for the year. I have asked you to share your words with me to use as inspiration for these messages—thanks to everyone who has sent them in so far.

I am honored to share and expand on the word and sentiments that I recently got from a friend.

Immanuel is our newest word for the week/year.

Immanuel is actually a very significant name for Jesus—God with us. He’s not far off, watching from a distance. God is right there with us, in our midst!

Immanuel is the name the angel gave to Joseph in a dream, announcing Mary’s holy pregnancy.

Matthew 1:23, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Jesus’ birth fulfilled God’s promise that was given hundreds of years before.

Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

It has always been God’s plan to be in relationship with His children. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, until sin tragically entered the world and broke the blessed communion. Even in the Garden, immediately following their disobedience, God promised to send a Savior to restore mankind’s fellowship with Him.

God’s promise was reiterated all throughout history. Despite our rebellion against His love and authority, God has never left His people. He reached out to the world through Israel and extends His grace to all who come to Him in faith.

He was with Israel when they were in Egypt (Moses), during times of wandering in the desert, while crossing seas and rivers, during seasons of drought and famine. He led them with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

God is faithful, loving, kind, and true. He is merciful, gracious, and forgiving. He is sovereign and powerful. Since that Holy Night in Bethlehem, God continually reaches out to the world through Jesus.

Here are the notes my friend sent along with her dedicated word for the year:

Immanuel—God with us; God with me; all the time; God says, “I am with you.”

I love that the name God gave His One and Only Son is Immanuel. Jesus’ Name serves as a constant reminder that God is always near. Jesus, after all, is God in the flesh. He stepped down from Heaven and made His dwelling among us. He arrived in a way that we humans could relate to and understand.

John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

God wants to be known as He fully knows us. He sees, hears, cares, and acts on our behalf. He knows every hair on our head and collects our tears in a bottle.

The Bible is filled with promises and confirmations of just how present the Lord is in our lives. He is not only our Creator, but our Sustainer as well.

Here are just a few:

Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Romans 8:38-39, “ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

James 4:8, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

God’s character doesn’t change—He is the same yesterday, today, and all our tomorrows.

He is with us on the mountaintops and in the valleys below. As I recently experienced, He is with us on the beach in Hawaii and in the urgent care too (don’t worry, I’m ok).

It’s easy to recognize God’s presence in beautiful places, happy times, and abundant blessings. It’s sometimes harder to see Him in the sad, mad, and downright bad times. But He is there, ever-present.

A few more promises to cling to:

Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

John 14:15-17, ““If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

God is with you. Do you feel His nearness?

Open your Bible for more reminders and to hear Him speak directly to you.

Come to God in prayer; share your heart with Him and then quietly listen for any whispers from Him.

Let’s be intentionally aware of God’s presence throughout our day and as we lay our head on our pillows at night. It makes all the difference.

Psalm 4:8, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

I’ll spare you photo of me in the Urgent Care. Haha