immanuel:  god is with us

What sent the shepherds back to the fields rejoicing, what made the wise men fall down in wonder in the shadow of that baby? It was the gripping realization that they were in the presence of their Creator, now a baby boy.  The name given, Immanuel, it means “God is with us,” had now become a reality.  What does it mean for God to be with us?


Why does the human race need "God with Us?" Why do you and I need the promise of Immanuel? Because the plain truth is that without Immanuel, we human beings are incomplete at best. We did not will ourselves into existence by our invincible spirit or strength. Nor do we owe our existence now to our superior intellect and will to survive.   We know deep down inside that we are not in control.  When we face challenging times,  we feel our inabilities. 

  

We human beings are creations: beautiful, complicated, and intricate creations fashioned by the all-powerful Creator who has revealed Himself to us as our God. His name is Yahweh. We were made with the hands of this loving Creator. We were fashioned in His image (Gen. 1:27). This means that we were created for the express purpose of knowing and loving Him. We were meant to be together. We were meant to have the most intimate relationship imaginable with Him. We were to depend on Him for all things; we were to daily walk in His light, His love, His joy, and His power.  We were to be with Him.

  

What happens to us when we no longer have fellowship with the Creator?   When we are no longer “with Him?” We seek to find a replacement to make the gnawing emptiness go away. We try to fill the void of loneliness. Some call this "man's drive to succeed", others call it "finding myself", and still others “a mid-life crisis.” 

  

But these restless stirrings are our hearts desire trying to fill the void left by the absence of the God who made us. We feel alone. We feel disconnected.  Some of us try to make the emptiness go away with romance and relationships, family and friends. Others throw themselves completely into a career hoping that it will give their life meaning. Others find themselves almost obsessively buying one thing after the other, desperately hoping to find fulfillment under the emotional high of “newness.” 

  

Why do we need "God with us?”  Why do you and I we need Jesus Christ, our Immanuel?  Because without Him we are incomplete. Without Him we are alone.  Only He can undo what we have done. Only the One who created us can restore us again. Only God can break down the wall of sin that separates us from Him. Only God can give our lives the meaning and completeness we were supposed to have. Only "God with us," Immanuel, can rescue us from the separation we are experiencing.  Only God can fill the void. 

  

So great is His love for you and for me that He left His glory to come here and be with us. Through His perfect life and death on the cross, He broke down the wall of separation that our sin had built and He chose to reconcile us to Himself. Through Jesus Christ, our Immanuel, our sins are forgiven and we can have fellowship with our Creator again. 

  

We all need God to be here with us. You and I are not alone.  Let’s draw near to God and He will draw near to us.  Let’s take comfort in the greatest gift we could receive…God with us, Immanuel.


I believe that our best days are before us…not behind us.  We all need a little encouragement, wisdom, and help from time to time.  We can’t accomplish our goals in isolation or always on our own.  We need each other.  Remember, you are not alone. It’s time to thrive.  Let’s do it together.   Click here to set up a Discovery Coaching call.   

 

Rick