Emmanuel: God Is with Us
Key Verse to Read and Treasure
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive a soon, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)—Matthew 1:23
For Insight
What an awesome comfort and assurance the Lord’s angel shared with Joseph. In our family we have a practice of selecting baby names based upon their meaning and as they grew helping them know and understand the meaning and why it was selected for them.
Names mean a lot. The child must go through life with their name (at least until they are old enough to change it if they desire) and that name should be a blessing to them and not a curse. That name should be chosen carefully, something they can grow into proudly.
The angel not only reassured Joseph the baby Mary was carrying was from the Lord and what the child was to be named, the angel shared the meaning of the name Immanuel, which was “God with us.”
It’s not hard to imagine that each time Joseph looked into the face of baby Jesus, each time he held Mary’s baby, his heart and thoughts must have been filled with the angel’s words. It was not only Mary’s baby he was holding it was Immanuel, God in the flesh, God in his arms, God in his home, God in the cradle, God in his care, God in this world, God with us.
Immanuel is everywhere present. Jesus ascended into heaven, but he has not left us alone. Through the Holy Spirit God is still with us. God in your home. God in your life. God with you in your sickness, problems, complications, trials, and grief. God in this world, God with us.
God you are with us, and we are comforted, strengthened, assured, hopeful, joyful, and humbled that you have come to earth. Who are we that we should have God with us? Amen
Christmas Mindfulness
Devotionally Yours 