Category: Advent 2019 – Immanuel

Our Advent season has come to an end! And tomorrow we can rejoice on Christmas that Immanuel has arrived to dwell with us.

Last year at this time, our son John’s youngest daughter was only beginning to learn to crawl. Lydia had to be carried everywhere by her mother or father. She was very aware of both their presence and absence. If Kelly left the room, Lydia felt abandoned and protested with tears. Lydia depended on sight.

In this series of devotionals we have focused on how from the very beginning and continuing right until now, God’s forever plan has been to enjoy companionship with His people. In this world we have difficulty seeing Him walk beside us, we can’t reach out and touch His hand. We have to accept His presence by faith.

 But a day is coming when we will rise to be with our Lord in Heaven. In Rev. 21:3, the apostle John wrote: “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people!He will live with them, and they will be his people.God himself will be with them.”

 Faith will become sight. Ultimately we will live with God forever! Tomorrow, as you celebrate the birth of Jesus, remember His other name: Immanuel – “God With Us!”

Advent is almost over! Soon we we will welcome Jesus. Imagine the joy Mary experienced after nine months of pregnancy as she embraced “Immanuel – God With Us” for the first time in her arms. Think of Simeon and Anna praying for years and finally beholding their Savior face to face. Magi traveled around 400 miles across deserts on camels or on foot to see this wondrous child. That year, He was in the creche, and in a few short years He was on the cross!

 And today? Many people have little understanding of what Christmas is all about. They have no idea that the Sovereign Lord of the Universe is near and that He desires their companionship. As the prophet warned in Isaiah 55:6, “Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.”

 Whom do you know that is lonely during this holiday season? Is there a neighbor who is struggling with a divorce? Is there an elderly patient in a nursing home? Is there a widow who grieves the loss of her spouse? What about the friend facing cancer? Why not share with them the truth that there is a God who loves them and yearns to walk with them through their journey? There could be no better Christmas gift you could offer them.

For the past three weeks of Advent, we have prepared for “Immanuel – God With Us.” We have seen just how much the Lord desires to be near us. He wants to listen to us, guide us, protect us, and encourage us. He pours out rich gifts of love, anointing us with oil of gladness until our cups overflow.

 Christmas hasn’t even arrived, yet my husband and I have already received several gifts. For me, it is a pleasure to write thank-you notes expressing how much I appreciate the thought and love that went into each gift. It seems only right that we would want to also express our gratitude to our Heavenly Gift-Giver.

 The psalmist Asaph felt the same way. In Psalm 75:1, he wrote, “We thank you, O God! We give thanks because You are near. People everywhere tell of Your wonderful deeds.”

 Before you hurry out the door to work or before you run out to purchase those last minute Christmas gifts for family and friends, why not take a moment and write a thank-you note to the God who is near you today? And then tell someone about one of His wonderful deeds.

For many people, December is a time of anticipation of seeing and being near those we love. Today, the Saturday before Christmas, is a major day for holiday travel as families board airplanes and climb in cars to visit grandparents or grandchildren over the next few days.

 Holidays offer opportunities for families to gather, but reunions are not always possible. At Thanksgiving, my husband and I hoped to visit my mother in Massachusetts but a herniated disk in my back forced us to stay at home. One of my brothers lives on Cape Cod; he and his wife stopped by to see us on a recent trip to see one of their children. And another brother visited recently while he was in town seeing his daughter. But distance, health, and family responsibilities too often keep us from all getting together at the same time and place.

 We are also part of God’s family, but in Rom. 8:38,39 , the apostle Paul wrote, “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 Neither distance, health concerns, nor family obligations ever separate us from Immanuel, God With Us. Will you join Him at His family reunion today?

Christmas is less than a week away. I hope you are motivated to continue with this Advent series for a few more days!

 For weeks, even months during the Fall season, stores promote Christmas shopping. It used to be that they waited until after Thanksgiving to begin their promotions, then we saw Christmas decorations appear at Halloween, and now holiday displays show up even earlier! Always people look ahead to that time when the holiday will arrive in the future.

 Jesus, as He was giving final instructions to his disciples, said something very different. As He gave His great commission at the end of Matthew’s gospel, he did not speak about the past – how He had walked beside them for the previous three years. Nor did He speak of a day in the distant future – when He would be with them again. He used the present tense: “Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

 We all look forward to Christmas morning and opening gifts and eating far too much food. But in our excitement, let’s not forget that Immanuel is here with us now. Today. An ordinary Friday in 2019. Rejoice in His presence!

Advent is a joyful time of year. The piles of gifts begin to accumulate under the tree. The smell of fresh baked cookies wafts through the house. Greeting cards arrive with news of old friends.

 Have you ever had a dear friend drop out of touch? There was a time when you talked almost every day and shared laughter and tears. But suddenly they moved away. Or you took a new job and you lost contact. Friendships ebb and flow. Is “Immanuel – God With Us” like that? Does He only show up in a time of crisis or, worse, does He disappear when you most need Him?

 As Jesus prepared to leave this world, His disciples felt fearful and anxious. “Where are you going?” they asked. But Jesus assured them that He would not leave them alone. In John 14:16, Jesus replied, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”

Jesus is sitting beside your bed when you wake up in the morning. He delights in hearing you say grace at meals. And He listens when you say, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” But He wants to be at your side every moment of your day. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.

 As you pick up your mail today and read messages from old friends, don’t forget to acknowledge the presence of the one Friend who will never, never, ever leave you.

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!

Thank you for sticking with me through this Advent season a we explore the theme “Immanuel – God With Us.”

Yesterday we saw that God walks by our side as we move through our days in a world that has rebelled against His ways. Sometimes we are tempted to give up hope. How can one individual, even with God at his side, ever respond to the needs of millions of refugees displaced from their homes? How can one person ever hope to prevent the horror of school shootings or stop the violence of terrorists?

Again the words of the Lord give us comfort:

“Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel.
For I will bring you home again from distant lands,
and your children will return from their exile.
Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet,
and no one will terrorize them.

Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant,
for I am with you,” says the Lord. (Jer. 46:28)

Right now our world is full of strife, but the Lord promises that the terrorists will not win. One day stress will fade and we will experience peace and quiet as we sit at His feet. Why not take a few minutes right now to sit quietly in His presence before you hurry out the door to your day?

How good to have you back again for the next in our Advent series on the theme “Immanuel – God With Us.”

 Just because the Lord walks at our side does not mean that everything in our lives runs smoothly. Jesus lived in a world that rebelled against God’s laws and continually pressured Him to conform.. And God now has assigned us the task of changing this world, drawing His people back to His embrace.

 I think the Lord expressed this most clearly when He spoke to to Jeremiah:

 . “I will restore you so you can continue to serve me.

If you speak good words, rather than worthless ones,

you will be my spokesman.

You must influence them;

do not let them influence you.

They will fight against you like an attacking army,
but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze.
They will not conquer you,
for I am with you to protect and rescue you.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

Yes, I will certainly keep you safe

from these wicked men.

I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”

(Jer. 15:19-21)

 As you meet people today, consider your own words. Are they worthless? Or are your words influencing others to think about the true meaning of Christmas, the arrival of Christ with us?

Every day brings the excitement of Christmas closer. I hope that these brief Advent devotionals are helping you keep your focus on Immanuel – “God With Us.”

 When we walk with God, sometimes we find ourselves out of step with the world around us. The newspapers are full of accounts of court decisions about bakers and photographers and florists that, because of sincerely held religious beliefs, have lost their businesses due to discrimination lawsuits. Standing alone against the tide of society carries a heavy cost. Even if the person wins his case, the lawyer fees can be overwhelming and force them into bankruptcy.

 In contrast, Isaiah 50:8 says, “He who gives me justice is near. Who will dare to bring charges against e now? Where are my accusers? Let them appear!” According to Rom. 8:34, our Lord stands beside us in court to defend us. The Father is Judge, but the Son is our defense attorney stands by our side and pleads for us. And as for our legal fees? The defense attorney paid them Himself!

 Today, if you are out driving and see a patrol car or sit waiting at a traffic light, take a moment to thank the Lord for satisfying every demand of the law.