As a first-time Mom, the holidays have taken on new meaning for me. Everything is my son's first-time experience, and I want these moments with him to be very special even though the only memories he will have are from my perspective and the photos I share with him as he gets older. There is something very precious about the moments we share with those closest to us that pales compared to anything else. 

The Old Testament contains many prophecies about the Messiah’s coming and how he would save God's people from their sins. The Israelites, however, never had memories of God's anointed one. They only heard about his coming and were waiting for his arrival. They were eagerly anticipating the day of having God with them. But, now Christ has come, and we not only see in partial, but we can experience having our Savior with us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Like my firstborn son, my husband and I dreamt of the day he would be with us to celebrate Christmas and share memories. Now that he is here, we want to make our time together memorable. God wants an intimate relationship with all people; he wants all to know his Son Jesus and walk in the fullness of life he has for them, not just this Christmas season but every day! 

We have every reason to rejoice as daughters of God! God has come to be with his people. He came to us as a baby and now reigns as our high priest and king in heaven. He is the Christ, our Immanuel! Of course, you know him as your Savior and Lord, but you may wonder why we call him "Immanuel." 

Some of my favorite movies are when the plot takes you backward. It shows you a glimpse of the future, but then they rewind and show you how they got to that point step by step. Today we will be doing just that. Christ has come to the earth, and now God is with us! We have the promise of his Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. But how were we separated from God in the first place; what caused this broken relationship?

Well, let's start from the beginning, the very beginning of the book of Genesis. God had created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for the animals. God would meet them in the cool of the day and be with them. (Genesis 3:8). Then an ominous figure entered the scene, the snake, who cunningly deceived Eve and her husband into violating God's command. As a result of their disobedience, sin and its devasting effects entered the world, causing a spiritual separation between God and his creation.

We must keep in mind that God is holy and righteous. He must judge sin, and disobedience to his commands is a violation of his moral standards. When God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it was for their protection and out of love. Think of it this way, just as we set up boundaries for our children, we do this because we love them and know what is best for them. We are not withholding something good from them but are protecting them. Throughout the Old Testament, we can see that God always had a plan in place to one day redeem His people. God earnestly desires a restored relationship with us all and has made that possible through his Son, Jesus Christ. 

Immanuel Signifies the Intimacy God Has With His People

A Bible teacher once said, intimacy is saying to the other person I am letting you see all into me. In other words, into-me-you-see. When God sent his only Son into the world, his purpose was to restore the relationship between an infinite, holy God and a finite, sinful people through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Given that Jesus has conquered sin and death and put us into a right relationship with God, we can now enjoy his presence through his Holy Spirit. The intimacy we now have with God equips us in our everyday life. Jesus told his disciples to go throughout the world and make disciples and that he would be with them to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). 

When we obey God’s call on our lives, he will strengthen us for the tasks set at hand, and his strength empowers us when we are weak. The Holy Spirit will guide us to know God's truth and comfort us in our sorrows. He is a friend to us when we are lonely, and his providential care will sustain us. As God's daughters, we can move forward confidently in his will for our lives because if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

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Immanuel Reminds Us That God Is for Us

It's no secret that the stresses of our everyday lives can leave us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. I am often guilty of portraying a lack of faith in Christ during stressful times. When things are going well, I say, "Thank you, Father, for the blessing of a good and easy day!" However, when the day is hard, I start doubting that God cares about me or that he is even with me. An important reminder for me and us all is that we are not left alone to figure this life out. We have a helper! We now have God's Holy Spirit, who dwells in our hearts. The beauty of Jesus as our Immanuel is that we have both his grace and peace to sustain us. The very name of Jesus is an antidote to every fear we face. When we place our trust in him, we can find assurance that his ever-abiding presence and power have already defeated every fear of ours, even death itself. Christ will be with us to the end of the age! 

Remember this truth, sister: the peace of Christ is not found in a program or having the perfect plan, but rather peace is found in a person, Jesus, our Immanuel! So, friend, when the season's obligations are overwhelming, remember that Christ is the source of your assurance and confidence; he only can bring peace to your situation.

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