Advent Day 13 - Is God Really with Me?

This year's Advent devotionals are from A Celebration of Advent:
A 25-Day Devotional by New Spring Church of Anderson, SC
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“... the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14

This time of year, reminders of Jesus’ birth are everywhere— in Christmas carols, church nativities, and family traditions. But how many of us woke up today with the confidence that God is with us?

Jesus is called “Immanuel” because He is "God with us." It’s one thing to know God is with us; it’s another to experience this truth in our everyday [life]. Jesus promised to never leave us.

God is with us— we can never be separated from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
God is with us— we can accomplish His will for us (Philippians 2:13).
God is with us— we don’t have to live with fear, worry, or dissatisfaction (Philippians 4:4-7).

God is with you when you’re facing the heartache of Christmas without a family. God is with you when you’re fretting over the details of the holidays. And when you’re experiencing the joys of this holiday season, God is with you there, too. This Christmas, let God’s promise lead you to love more fully, give more generously, and live more confidently. He is Immanuel.

Reflect: Read Isaiah 7:10-14, Matthew 1:23
When is it easy to believe that God is with you?
When do you struggle to believe that’s true?
What do you think would change if you sensed God is with you?
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Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive us for putting conditions on our faith and on Your love. Forgive us for letting situational circumstances determine whether or not we believe You are always with us. You promised to never leave us or forsake us. Increase our faith, O God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where and When

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:29 NLT

My oldest brother died less than a year ago. His wife died this week. Her service is on Monday in North Texas, and I can't go because I have had covid for 27 days. I believe I am definitely on the upswing and took my last dose of medicine today, but it's too soon to take a chance of taking it to the rest of my family. Love is hard...

I don't understand why, and I don't understand the timing of it all, both my niece and nephew and my grandniece and grandnephew to lose Ron and Mary within a year of each other, and I can't be there. And as the remaining siblings and our children gather, I won't be there. But way more than me, they need my Savior to be there and He will be. I praise God that He has comforted me with the Truth that He is Immanuel, God with us. He doesn't put restrictions on when He's with us or where He's with us, but simply that He's with us always.

And as I expressed earlier this week, Psalm 139 gives me great comfort in knowing that all the days of my life were planned before I ever drew a breath, and He's promised to be with me. It doesn't get any better than that! So, whatever my family needs on Monday, I am sure beyond the shadow of a doubt that they will have because He IS Immanuel, God with us.

Prayer:

Father,

           We pray Your Word in Psalm 145, I will exalt You, my God and King, and praise Your Name forever and ever. I will praise You every day; yes, I will praise You forever. Great is the Lord! You are most worthy of praise! No one can measure Your greatness. Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power. I will meditate on Your majestic, glorious splendor and Your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim Your greatness. Everyone will share the story of Your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about Your righteousness. Thank You, Father, we look to You by Hope in Your Word. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where was God?

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39 NLT

We've talked before about what is our standard for life. What is the standard by which we measure what we believe? Do the circumstances of life dictate what we believe? Is it our most wretched or most glorious of life experiences? Do you have an absolute standard that doesn't change no matter what comes? I believe we must have an absolute or we will be tossed about by every wind and doctrine (see Ephesians 4:13-15). 

The good news is that one is available, but only One - the Holy Word of God - Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His Truth prevails over every fact of life. It is written in His Word in Matthew 1:23, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”

God with us. So important for us to know that every time we call His Name we are proclaiming the Truth that God is with us. Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians 4:8-9 that We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. 

And in verses 16-18, That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Where was God? Where is God?!?  Right where He's always been - where He promised to always be - WITH US. He will get us through. It will be made right in the end. If it's not right, it's not the end... yet.

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your Truths. Thank You for giving us the proper measuring stick for life. Thank You that You are the same yesterday, today and forever. Open our hearts and minds to fully understand Immanuel, God with us. That You will truly never leave us nor forsake us. That we are carved into the palm of Your hand and cannot be plucked out! We pray as the boy's father prayed in Mark 9:24, We believe, Father, help our unbelief! We choose to trust You. We choose to believe Your Word over what we see or hear! Give us wisdom and Your strength, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Where was God?

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23 NKJV

We all want to know why bad things happen, and especially when they happen to people we perceive as good. Usually, the first question people ask is "Where was God?".   

God - whose ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours, that we can't possibly know or understand the whys and wherefores of life. What we CAN do is choose to trust a God who is Omnipotent (all-powerful), Omniscient (all-knowing), and Omnipresent (all-present). What we CAN do is remember that this world is not the end-all, be-all of our existence. What we CAN do - according to His Word in 2nd Corinthians1:3-5 - is take the comfort God gives to us and give it to others.

What we can and MUST do is remember that Jesus went through it first. He was the only sinless man to walk this Earth and yet we crucified Him. He wasn't guilty of anything, yet He died a horrible death to pay for our sins. Where was God in all that? He was right there - God with us.

Prayer:

Father,

         Open the eyes of our understanding to see You and to know that we can trust You in all things. In the words of the old song, we thank You for the mountains and we thank You for the valleys. We thank You for the storms You've brought us through. Most of all, Father, we thank You that through it all, You are with us. Keep us ever mindful of Your presence. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen