Immanuel: The Promise of Hope

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

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In a society that continually proclaims self-sufficiency, we must ask ourselves: Is this true?

Are we really capable of relying on our own strength and figuring out our life problems by ourselves? Have we been left on our own?

The pages of Scripture reveal an entirely different story.  

God crafted humanity to depend on Him in a beautiful relationship; this is what Adam and Eve enjoyed with God.

Sin made its entrance into the world because humans wanted to depend on their own understanding. They desired to have the knowledge of what is right and wrong for themselves rather than obeying the Lord.

God gave them what they desired. And because of it, the relationship between God and humanity was broken.

Yet, God pursued us. First, through sending prophets who were rejected by the people.  

Then through the little baby born by a virgin woman. The God of the universe came in the most vulnerable form.

He was called many names, and Immanuel was one of them. It means “God with us.”

Why did He come? Simply because we needed Him to.

As a child needs the loving care of their caregiver, so we desperately need the tender yet powerful love of God to care for us.

He is with us in our brokenness when we wonder how much more we can take.

He is with us in our sorrows when tears flow from our faces.

He is with us in our joys when our hearts are filled with love for others.

He is with us in the uncertainty when we do not know what the next chapter holds.

He is with us because He is a good, gracious, and merciful God.

We needed saving from our sins so that an unexplainable love would soften our rebellious hearts.

Not only at the moment of salvation but for the rest of our lives, we need to be carried by Him.

The little baby came and grew into a man who would be rejected and crucified on the cross.

And yet, this paved the way for God to be even closer to humanity. The Holy Spirit dwells inside the heart of the believer so that we are given strength on the days when we feel empty.  

God did not see us at our worst and turn the other way. Instead, He came even closer and wrapped His loving arms around us.

As we approach the Christmas season, may we be reminded that God Himself came and dwelt with us.

Because of this, we are given hope.

Will you let Him in your heart all the way?

Blessings,