He Shall Be CalledSample

He Shall Be Called | Day 1

It’s that time of year again, CHRISTMASTIME! With the season comes all the fun, gifts, food, family, and more. But often, that’s just the trappings of the season, and we can lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. It’s about Christ’s birth, His coming to earth to seek and save what was lost and locked in darkness. He is the light of the world. That’s the meaning of the season- Jesus Christ.

So, what makes this Christmas devotional different from many others? It’s the point that during Christmas, we look at certain verses in the Bible and tend to forget them the rest of the time. Therefore, we are going to look at two sections of Scripture in Isaiah that are normally main Christmas-time verses but broaden them out to our lives throughout the entire year. Let’s embark on this journey together. Each day, there will be a devotional thought for you to read, a few verses, and at least one question to ponder that connects the information to application in your life.

As mentioned above, we can become so infatuated with the season’s exuberance that we can often gloss over what lies beneath the surface. We spend money on gifts to bring joy, but it’s fleeting; we are busy seeing friends and family and choose to look the other way as we see the pain all around us; we overeat just to make promises in January to lose the fifteen pounds we gained. We seek out fun experiences and lose sight of those around us who are alone, hurting, and need encouragement.

That's why it is important to remember that Christ needs to stay at the center of the season. If you are a believer, you don’t have to try and figure this out on your own. He will help you as you abide in Him. This brings us to His first name. He Shall Be Called Immanuel. Immanuel means God with us. It is so profound and humbling that God sent His Son to be with us, and not only that, but to seek and save us.

His name is Jesus Christ, but Immanuel, along with the other things He was called, are titles bestowed upon Him- Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Not because they are titles that He seeks to aspire to, no. These are His titles because He is all of these things already. Have you ever heard the saying “Leaders Lead”? In our world, we get it backward. We want the title and prestige before being willing to do the job or take responsibility. Not so with Christ. He had the title already when He came, and God is the one bestowing the title upon the Child who would be the world’s Savior.

It’s important to remember that we might sing “O’ Come, Emmanuel” this season, but He did come, died on the cross, rose three days later, ascended into heaven, and is coming again. We don’t have to feel alone. The Holy Spirit is in everyone’s heart that calls Christ Savior and Lord. God is still with us and in us, not just during the Christmas season but throughout the entire year; every day, moment by moment, He is with us.

Application:

In what ways do you need to experience Immanuel (God With Us) in your life today? Is it in your family, work, or friends? What does abiding in Immanuel look like in your life? What might need to change? In your thinking, what would that look like in a real way? Take some time and pray about it with Jesus. He is right there with you, ready to listen.