00:00Emanuel. Dad. I thought I heard someone whispering as I lay there, still mostly asleep.
00:12Hey, Dad. I heard more clearly, now disappointed it wasn't a dream.
00:17What's up, buddy? I answered. My little boy responded, I can't sleep. Whether it was a bad
00:24dream, shadows on the wall, or strange noises outside, I knew what he needed me to do.
00:31Want me to come sit with you for a little while? I asked.
00:35Yes, he answered, both excited and relieved. It might still be dark, but I would be with him,
00:41and that was all he needed. It's always comforting to know you're not alone,
00:46that someone who loves you is with you. As I prepare this devotional, the world seems to be
00:52standing on the brink. Israel is at war. The United States is engaged in a power struggle
00:59with Russia and China. Meanwhile, our country also seems to be more divided than it has been
01:05in over 150 years. The moral decay of our society has accelerated beyond what most would have
01:12envisioned just a decade ago, and studies show the number of Americans identifying as Christian
01:18has declined significantly and consistently in recent years. Not to mention, we all face our
01:25own personal challenges and trials as we move through this life. Merry Christmas, everyone!
01:32The good news is that you are not alone. If you are a Christian, God is with you.
01:38In Isaiah 7 verse 14, the prophet foretold this amazing truth. It came at another time when the nation
01:45of Israel was surrounded by enemies determined to destroy God's people. Isaiah told the people God
01:52would give them a sign that they would be victorious, and their enemies would not prevail against them.
01:58Therefore, he proclaimed, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will be with child
02:05and bear a son, and she will call his name Emmanuel. Emmanuel, God with us. This prophecy was partially
02:13fulfilled in Isaiah's day. Israel did indeed withstand the schemes and assaults of their enemies
02:19at that time. But the prophecy found its final fulfillment in the person and ministry of Jesus
02:25Christ, the Son of God. Matthew expressly recognized this in his Gospel. In telling of Christ's miraculous
02:33birth, he explained, all of this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.
02:40The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel.
02:45In the Old Testament the people were encouraged just by knowing that God was with them.
02:51The birth of a child named Emmanuel served as a sign that, God is with us. But when Jesus Christ came,
02:58Emmanuel meant, God with us, in a new and more profound way as the Son of God literally arrived
03:05on the scene in human form. No matter our circumstances, this amazing truth gives us great
03:11confidence, hope, and peace for three reasons. We know that Jesus came to save us, Jesus is with us
03:18today, and Jesus will never leave us. 1. Jesus came to save us. Emmanuel, God with us.
03:25If you really stop to think about what that means, it is mind-blowing. As prophesied hundreds of years
03:32earlier, God would take on human flesh so that he could come to earth on a rescue mission to ransom
03:38and redeem us. Philippians 2 verses 6 and 8 says it this way, Jesus, although he existed in the form of
03:46God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a
03:53bondservant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
04:00by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. The Bible assures us that Jesus,
04:07the Son of God, came to save us because of his immeasurable, incomprehensible love for us.
04:142. Jesus is with us. Throughout Scripture, the Lord assures his people they can rest in his presence
04:20because he is with them. In John 14 verse 26, Jesus foretold that when he returned to heaven,
04:28the Father would send the Holy Spirit in his name. The same Holy Spirit that Christ promised to his
04:35disciples is with us today. In Romans 8 verse 9, the Bible reminds believers that we have the Spirit of
04:43Christ in us. As we navigate our daily lives, the presence and power of Jesus Christ are working
04:49in us to guide, equip, empower, and transform us. 3. Jesus will never leave us. Not only did he come,
04:59not only is he with us now, but Jesus also promised that he will never leave us. Immediately before his
05:06ascension, in Matthew 28 verse 20, Jesus assured his disciples that he would never leave them and that he
05:13would remain with them even to the end of the age. We too have the confidence that Jesus will never leave
05:19us. The author of Hebrews encourages us with this truth. Because God said, I will never leave you nor forsake
05:27you, we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?
05:34Aren't you glad that we serve a God like this? He loves you so much that he came to save you.
05:41He is with you even now, and he promises that he will never leave you. Prayer.
05:47Heavenly Father, thank you for the truth of your word. Thank you for the miracle of the incarnation
05:53that Jesus Christ, your only Son, came to save me. I am resting in the knowledge that I am never alone
06:01because you are with me, and I can take comfort in the shelter of your wings. Because you are my helper,
06:08I will not be afraid. Father, I trust you. I love you. I pray my life will evidence your indwelling
06:15presence and power so that I might be a living testimony for you. I pray all this in the saving name
06:22of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
