Are you looking for something to cling to right now in this precarious world? Some kind of promise from God during this time of history? Let’s think about this. What is the most precious promise that we have given from God that we can cling to even in the midst of wars and rumors of wars?
As a child, when I was scared at night, I’d often crawl into the bed next to my grandma. Being with her and knowing she was right by my side my heart was able to rest and go back to sleep.
So, now what? Who do we go to when our hearts need to be comforted? What is the precious promise we’ve been given by God that we can apply right now in our precarious world?
As believers in Christ, we can find a promise in one of His Names. A promise we can truly cling to. The name Immanuel.
Perhaps you know someone named Immanuel or have heard it before, but what does it mean? To fully apply the promise, we need to know what it means.
The bible tells us the meaning in the prophecy spoken of Christ in the Old Testament. This was many years before he came to earth and even then gave them a glimpse into what our Lord would be like. God gave them hope in their precarious times.
“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” Isaiah 7:14 NLT
God is what? God is WITH US.
Then, much later in history when Joseph was having an encounter with the angel of the Lord and his own special predicament, we see him being told to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife. He was told this child was from God and conceived by the Holy Spirit. These are miracles indeed. But why does it matter to our life?
It matters because Joseph was told to call his name Jesus, which means “The Lord saves.” And then we are specifically reminded of what in this passage? What prophetic word were we encouraged would come to pass?
Out of all the prophetic words mentioned about Christ, this most precious promise was highlighted to encourage them then and us now.
“All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: ‘“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:22-23 NLT
God is WITH US. Oh my, can you feel this in your spirit? God IS with us. GOD is with us.
When I first got baptized in the Holy Spirit, I was beginning my closer walk with the Lord and as I was with him one day, I felt his sadness. I was puzzled and I asked him, “Why are you sad? He said, “Because the church doesn’t know me as Immanuel.” It broke his heart.
Why does that matter to God and why does it make him sad? I could only imagine there are so many layers to this answer, but on the surface here’s my perspective.
We have Jesus who has offered himself to humanity as the way back to the Father, made himself available to us through the atonement and has given us the precious Holy Spirit to live inside us. But most of his church receives him to have their sin washed away, a home secured in heaven and then rejects the intimate, “WITH US” relationship he longs for.
He didn’t come only to give us heavenly life insurance. He came so that we would walk hand in hand with him. Hear him. Feel him. Smell him. Delight in him.
These are experiences that can be had when you are WITH someone.
He is IMANNUEL. God with us. He wants you near. He wants you available. He wants time with you. By yourself.
This is not written in condemnation but for conviction. To sense the heart of God that longs to be with you.
If you long to be with him, I can feel his invitation to begin again. It’s “begin again” time.
It’s “forsaking all others” time. It’s “coming back to your First Love” time. Hallelujah. He’s calling. Can you hear him?
And so, even still. Here we have a promise from the Lord before he ascended. Here he is HIMSELF saying, “I am with you always.” And what else does he add? What else does he promise? Why is it important?
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NLT
This hit me hard the other day. I’ve read it before, but in the world we live in today, this promise is so precious. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” He added that so we wouldn’t doubt. No matter how precarious the circumstances. Not matter what the war. No matter what the rumor of war is.
The Lord wants you to know him as IMMANUEL. He does not want you to feel alone. He wants you to embrace the fact that he is who he says he is. And to walk by faith and not by sight. He IS with you.
It’s your invitation. Begin again. Even if you’ve been walking with him, there’s always a next level of intimacy. A next level of glory. A next level of faith.
Oh, Lord God. Thank you. Thank you so much for the precious promise that you are with us. You are here. We can crawl up right next to you and rest. We will not let our hearts be troubled. We will not be afraid. We will trust in you. Why? Because you are Immanuel, God with us. And you will ALWAYS be with us…. Even to the end of the age. We give you glory. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Name, amen.
Be blessed. He loves you so much.
If you want to know more, the following are passages on the end times. Read them and be encouraged. God is faithful.
If you want to know more about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, click below to find out more.
**** This picture and video was taken in Taylor, TX on 8/22/22. It was a beautiful reminder of the covenant promises that God makes to his children. This is not edited. If you could have seen it in person, the sky felt like a wonderful invitation into the glory of God with the brightest, kingly purple my eyes have ever seen. Since it was that particular date, I declared Isaiah 22:22, “I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.” ***
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Beautiful written
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Thank you. God is so good!! His love is real!!
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