Emmanuel, God With Us

Posted on December 23, 2010 at 10:56 pm by CelebrateYourFaith / Holidays, Liturgical Year, missions / 1 Comment

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” Luke 2:14 KJV

“Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel – which, when translated, means, God with us.” Matthew 1:23 AMP

Christmas is an exciting time of year. We hurry back and forth to Christmas parties and concerts, to the malls to shop for friends and loved ones, to the grocery store to buy ingredients for Christmas cookies and our Christmas meal, to the tree lot or tree grove to cut down the Christmas tree… and all the while, God is with us. But how aware of Him are we?

Jesus came down from heaven as a baby over 2000 years ago so that GOD COULD BE WITH US. He no longer wanted to be confined to the Holy of Holies in the temple, He wanted to reside and dwell among His people. Jesus made the way for that to happen.

Emmanuel, God with us…

Emmanuel has always been my favorite “Name of God.” Any Christmas song that speaks of Emmanuel is inevitably my favorite one on any album. “God with us” is truly amazing. The Creator of the Universe abides with us here on the earth. He is closer to us than our next breath. He is immeasurable in His vastness, and yet He is so personal.

He wants to be involved in all aspects of our Christmas season. He wants to touch you through a special song at that Christmas concert. He wants to show you the perfect gift for your loved one. He wants to enjoy the trimming of the tree with you. He wants to show you exactly how long to bake that sweet potato pie so it comes out perfectly. He wants to be “with us.”

Prince of Peace

The only way for peace to reside on the earth, and for goodwill to be toward men, is through the love of Jesus. Jesus is also called the “Prince of Peace.” True and lasting peace is an outworking of what we hold on the inside. As we are more and more aware of God’s presence, we can receive Him in greater measure as our Prince of Peace.

As our minds and hearts are quieted and at rest in His peace, then the overflow of peace begins to affect our relationships and external circumstances. Jesus came that we may “have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” John 10:10 AMP. Consider a glass of water. Until it’s filled up to the brim on the inside, it will not spill out and make the area around it wet. In the same way, we have to be filled up first before the overflow is available to impact those around us.

At Christmas time and on into the New Year, become aware of Emmanuel as you never have before. Allow Him to speak to you, to fill you up, and make an overflow available for all those you come in contact with. It will make the holiday season light up and sparkle in new ways, it will bring a greater meaning to everything you do, and it will deepen your relationship with God.

Christmas is a time of joy! There is no greater joy than knowing that God is right there with you and He desires to lead and guide you in every area of your life. He wants only the best for you! The level of joy you experience in knowing that is far above what anyone or anything in this world can give you!