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Emmanuel
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Heaven is with us now
Glory is all around
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Born to bring us to life
Come lift His name on high
Growing up in church, and now as a worship pastor, I have heard the word Emmanuel countless times. But in all honesty, I did not grasp the weight of it until recently.
Emmanuel … God with us. God. With. Us.
All of us go through seasons of life where we don’t seem to feel God’s presence. Difficult situations we face can leave us asking, “God where are You in this?” But did you know that the Word of God tells us over 100 times not to fear or be afraid, because He is with us?
“So do not fear, for I am with you.” Isaiah 41:10 NIV
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 NIV
I clung to these two verses in a time of fear, doubt, frustration, when I felt distant from God. A few years ago a very close friend of mine was in a car accident and was left with a severe brain injury that resulted in a coma. This friend had one of the most beautiful and joyous spirits. She loved God with her whole heart, and loved sharing His love with everyone she encountered. The years following her accident I had so many questions for God.
Why her? Why this way? Why so soon?
Throughout this tragedy I remember God so vividly showing up to remind me that He was near. He would show up through strangers, through His Word, and through stories told of my dear friend’s life. He reminded me constantly that He was with me in my grief and in the middle of my questions, and more importantly, He was with her.
Our God is not distant. He is closer than we know, and His love for each of us is deeper than we could ever imagine. He is Emmanuel. It is written throughout the entire Bible: a story of a God who found a way to conquer the separation caused by our sin, by sending His Son Jesus and then His Holy Spirit to be close to us once and for all.
Let’s Pray
Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son here to be with us. Thank You for being close and choosing to leave heaven to be with us here on Earth. Give us a desire to be close to You and Your heart. Comfort us in the good times and in the bad by Your Holy Spirit and the reminder of Your Son, Emmanuel.
—Rhiannon Morlan
Worship with this live performance of Emmanuel with Worship Pastors Rhiannon Morlan and Chandler Moore:
About this Plan
The Christmas season highlights the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. How can we worship deeply in this season? Through this 9-day devotional, we want to provide the story and spiritual meaning behind several Christmas songs you know and love, and maybe some new ones as well! This Plan features several worship pastors from Life.Church Worship who are a part of the live Christmas album, Gloria.
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