Immanuel: The God of Peace with Us

By Sean Fryer

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”—Matthew 1:23

I often get jealous of the life Adam and Eve had. They lived in a perfect world and had an all-you-can-eat buffet at all times (well, except for that one tree). The thing that makes me most jealous, though, is what we see in Genesis 3:8. It says, “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” You might be thinking, why are you jealous of that? Think about it! God was walking among them. How incredible!

Think about how great things would be if we knew that God was with us. I know I would live a bolder life, a life with less fear, and a life with more peace. As I have these thoughts . . . I have to stop myself. Why? Because I remember that God is with us right now! Did you read that verse at the beginning of this? Jesus is God with us. He lived with us, He walked with us, He died on this earth and rose again from the dead on this earth. He ascended into heaven from this earth. And when He did that, He sent the Holy Spirit to be here with us.

So, you see . . . God is always with us. In Hebrews 13:5, He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” David understood this when he wrote, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:7–10).

Be encouraged this Christmas season. In all the hustle and bustle, all the chaos, when the world seems like it’s falling apart, the God of peace is with you. Ephesians 2:14 reminds us, “For He Himself is our peace.” Allow Jesus to be your peace this Christmas . . . and not just this Christmas, but this year . . . and not just this year, but your whole life! He is with you; He loves you. Allow Him to be your peace.

Questions for Reflection:

• How often do you acknowledge the presence of Jesus with you?
• How does it change your view on life knowing that He is always with you?