Journal Entry ~ 12/24/19

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).  - Matthew 1:23

God with us. Those three little words are so important to who we are and how we manage in this world.

God with US. That includes you. If it includes me, it definitely includes you. If you’re wondering if you are included in the us, study the story of the people that were included in the list of 42 names at the beginning of Matthew. It’s a list of broken people, just like you and me, trying to make it in a broken world full of broken people. There were people who struggled with fear and anxiety, death and loss, broken relationships, and trials upon trials. There were adulterers and prostitute, murderers and thieves, and a host of other sinners just like you and me. This isn’t a list of elites, people who did it better than us. Its a list of the unlikely and the unworthy. It’s a list of people just like us.

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. - Luke 2:10

God WITH us. With is a relationship word, chose specifically to express that God desires to love us through a relationship. He knows what you’ve walked through, He knows what you’re facing, and He knows what the year ahead brings...and He wants to do it with you. He wants nothing more than a deep relationship with you so He can carry you through the struggles, so He can strengthen you through the battle, so He can comfort you through the grief.

GOD with us. The “with” matters because of the “who”. God is with us. The ruler of the universe, the One who created the heavens and the earth, the One who is sovereign over it all - He is with you. The One who has the power to heal, to redeem any situation, to bring light into the darkness and breathe life into death - He is with you. The One who is our Counselor, our Shepherd, our Savior, our Prince of Peace, our Waymaker and Promise Keeper. Christmas is the time that He chose to come down to literally be with you.

As you settle in to the busyness of this season, take the time to reflect on those three little words - God. With. Us.

Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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