God
with Us
TODAY’S
SCRIPTURE
Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth
to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel--which, when translated, means,
God with us.
Matthew 1:23, AMP.
TODAY’S
WORD
In the Bible, Jesus has many names that identify His
character. One of those names is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Before
Jesus came to earth, the Spirit of God resided in the temple. The people had to
go through all kinds of rituals to become clean enough to go near to Him.
Today, as believers, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we accept Jesus
as our Lord and Savior, He is the one who cleanses us and makes His home in our
hearts. He becomes one with us, closer than the air we breathe.
Isn’t it good to know that God is always with us? His
peace is always with us. His joy is always with us. His power is always with
us, and His victory is always with us. The next time you feel alone, think
about this scripture. Know that He is near because you serve Emmanuel—the God who
is always with you!
PRAYER
FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, thank You for choosing to make Your
home in me. Thank You for filling me with Your peace and joy. I bless You
today, knowing that You will never leave me nor forsake me in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
***
6 hours ago
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’” (Luke 2:10 NIV)
Knowing that Christmastime is God’s chosen time teaches us that Christmas is the time for us to renew our faith.
We need not fear God because of the Good News of Christ’s arrival; it is a Good News meant to “bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10 NLT).
What is the Good News?
You matter to God. God knows everything about you — the good, the bad, and the ugly — and he still loves you. He cares about you. He loves you more than you could ever know. God is for you, not against you.
You are not an accident. Regardless of the circumstances of your birth, you were not the result of an accident. God has a plan and a purpose for your life. The only way you will find meaning and satisfaction is to discover God's purpose for your life and then to get right into the center of his will.
God sent Jesus so you could know what he's like. If God wanted to communicate to birds, he would have become a bird. If God had wanted to communicate to cows, he would have become a cow. If he wanted to communicate to dogs, he would have become a dog. But God wanted to relate to you and to me, so he became like us — a human being.
The thing is this: I don't have the foggiest idea of what it means to relate to something like “‘The Force” — some impersonal power in the sky. But when I see Jesus in human form, I can say, “That's what God's like. I can understand that.”
This is why Christmas is not about a religion. You may be Catholic; you may be Jewish; you may be Presbyterian, Buddhist, Baptist, or Lutheran. I don't care what your religious background is; Jesus didn’t come to give you religion. He came to give you a relationship.
Christmas is God saying, "I want to relate to you. I want you to know me as much as I know you." That's joyful news. It's Good News!
Talk About It
|
No comments:
Post a Comment