Isaiah 7:14: Will Call Him Immanuel
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Immanuel means God with us. No matter what we go through or what we face, if Jesus is our Lord and Savior, God is with us. He is with us always. There is nothing that can separate us from His love. There is nothing that can separate us from Him. There is no one who can snatch us out of His hand. We are saved by His grace and we are kept by His grace.
Everyday as we learn of His word and learn of His kingdom, we are transformed. We are transformed as we come to know Him in a more intimate way. As our minds and hearts are immersed in His word and His presence, we come to understand the depths of His love for us and become more aware of His presence in all things.
God is with us. This should give us hope under the leadership of wicked people. It should give us hope in the midst of a failing economy and disease and sickness. When we know Jesus we know the one who holds all things together by His mighty power. He holds our every moment and provides our every breath. When we know Him we will not leave this earth until He says our days are done on this earth. No matter how many surround us on every day, if God is with us we have nothing to fear.
Today if your life is filled with fear and discouragement, remember that God is with us. Stop focusing on this world and the wickedness in this world. This world is mired in sin and it is sin that is the root and foundation of all wickedness we see on the earth. But in Christ we have true hope and we know His kingdom is coming soon because He is returning very soon.
In this Christmas season the focus should never be on gifts, lights, or Santa Clause. But it should always be fixed upon the one who loves us unconditionally and is truly in control of all that is happening in the world today. God is with us. Let our hearts be fixed upon that truth.
Prayer
Father today I thank you that you loved us so much you sent your Son Jesus to die upon the cross for our sins. I thank you that Jesus came to this earth, was born, lived His life without sin, and finally gave up all for us. Father may our lives honor you in all things, may we follow you every step of the way, and may our hearts be fixed upon you. Thank you for the greatest gift in your Son Jesus. In the name of Jesus, Amen!