In Search of CHRISTmas Presenceنموونە

God’s Presence is With Us

Scripture:

“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)

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalms 139:7-10 NIV)

Reflection:

The gift given was not an ordinary gift neatly wrapped with a bow or an exchange of value for a gift card to your preferred retail establishment. The gift given was literally a person, Jesus, who became “God with us.” The King of Kings, stepped out of Heaven, humbled Himself and became like us. God in human form. He was not born in a fancy palace or even to a well-off family, but to a young virgin and her fiancé in a humble stable.

For you. For me. Let me repeat it, God with us!

Astounding!

He came to be with us not to condemn us to but to be a sacrifice for us so that we would never experience separation from Him. He came so that we would know the fullness of His love. He came so that we could have life everlasting, never-ending, not here on earth, but one day for eternity in Heaven. Yet, while we walk out our days on earth, He still promises to be “God with us.”

Psalm 139 is like a beautiful trophy case, displaying the intimate and personal nature of God’s presence in our lives. He knows us completely when we sit down and when we rise up. Nothing about us is hidden from Him. Even our thoughts, before they form, are already known by God. He goes before us and follows behind, surrounding us with His care. There is no place we can go to escape His Spirit, no corner of creation where His presence does not reach.

You, Lord, are always with me - everywhere, at all times.

You chose to enter this world in the humblest way, born in Bethlehem, a place least expected for the King of glory. Yet, in that humility, your love for me shines even greater. His presence is a gift that is available to us every day, all the time.

Application:

During the busyness of the holiday season, I invite you to practice entertaining His presence everywhere. Think about what you need to do today and where you need to go. Write down those places you will visit or picture them in your mind. Now picture Jesus with you as you go into each place… the grocery store, the shopping mall, the Christmas tree farm, the school pick-up line, the holiday party, your workplace, the stop at the gas station, in the quiet (or the crazy of) your home, etc. Take time now to pray over every place you will be by name. Invite the Holy Spirit to go before you into every place and make you aware of His presence as you go about your day.

Prayer:

Father, help me to be intentional about inviting your presence in the most common of places. Let my light, which is you, shine brightly for others to see.