Immanuel is almost here! Welcome to the eighteenth devotional thought of this Advent series on “God With Us.”
Writing these devotionals each year is always a pleasure for me as they force me to take time to slow down and focus on the real meaning of this holiday season. However, the thoughts that I post each day do not merely happen on their own. First I pray about a theme for the new year. Then I gather passages of scripture that relate to that theme and put the ideas in an outline that presents the thoughts in what is hopefully an orderly progression. And then each individual devotional must be written. Some require hours before they take shape.
When God seeks out our companionship, He does not merely want to stroll with us in a garden or chat over a cup of coffee. He has work for us to do!
When the people of Israel returned from captivity in Babylon, one of their first tasks was to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. In Haggai 2:4, the Lord says: “Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’”
What has God been calling you to do? Have you been postponing it? When Immanuel is with us, sometimes it is is merely to chat, but other times He is there to kick us into action. Get to work!
