Good Morning Gorgeous,

It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start. A new day to rise and rest in Jesus.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, we can learn more about Jesus as we study His names. As we read the many, many names of God in the Bible, different facets of His character shine brightly. Similar to a diamond catching the light and each facet catching a beam of light and making it visible. So the Light of the World, Jesus, makes visible to us facets of God’s character.

And in Isaiah, He is named Emmanuel, God with us. Approximately 700 years before His birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote that a Son would be born to a virgin. And He gives him a name: Emmanuel. This prophecy comes amidst other prophecies of coming judgment, destruction, and also hope and promise. The people have continually turned away from God and chose evil. The prophet Isaiah delivers messages that tell them what is to come and many of the messages are harsh, but even though Israel has been unfaithful to God, He still sends messages of hope and gives them mighty promises for their future. And One of the promises is that through the miracle of a virgin birth, God would dwell among men.

Emmanuel is God with us. Jesus was going to come to earth in the most humble of ways. He would leave His seat on High to come to earth so that He could walk among His people. He would walk with them, teach them, heal them, empathize with them, see them and reveal a new way of living. He was God walking and talking with His creation. 

And Emmanuel, God with us, wasn’t just a prophecy for the physical life of Jesus when He walked the earth. Now, He takes up residence in the hearts of men and has given us His own spirit. We can talk with Him and walk with Him and be in continual relationship with a God who desires to be active and relational in our lives! He was Emmanuel, God with us then and He is still Emmanuel, God with us today.

We serve a God who hears us when we pray. He helps us in our afflictions and comforts us in our troubles. The verse of the day today in the Bible app is:

Just as He walked among men and women caring for them, bearing their burdens, healing, providing, teaching, and comforting, so today through the power of His Holy Spirit, Jesus continues to dwell among men and be Emmanuel God with US!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being a personal, active loving Lord who dwells inside of us. You are Emmanuel, God with us. You are a close, personal, relational Lord who loves us. You are involved in our daily lives because You care about us and for us. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for Your ultimate sacrificial love that holds nothing back from Your people. You removed every obstacle to save us. Thank You Lord. We anticipate Christmas this year as a time to celebrate Your goodness and the miracle of a God who dwells with us!

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings,

Vanessa Lynn