God With UsSample

Practicing “With-ness”

Here we go again; another Advent season is about to break upon us.

Store decorations have been out for weeks. Soon (if not already), some of you men will be fishing out the Christmas decorations, inundated with non-stop classic songs of the season, and forced into watching Hallmark Christmas movies.

But we may also hear the traditional Scriptures, including our theme verse for this week: “…and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’” (Matthew 1:23). And before we know it, it’ll be gone again—another Christmas in the books.

But wait...not so fast.

Maybe there’s something more to know and experience this year to make it an extraordinary Christmas.

It starts with three simple words that changed the world:

“God with us.”

The backstory to Matthew’s Nativity account is a throwback to an Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 7 given to King Ahaz. In the face of an impending invasion of Judah, Isaiah invited Ahaz to “be calm and carry on.” The promise of the birth of a royal child would give renewed hope for immediate military deliverance and future salvation for the world.

In quoting this prophecy, Matthew doesn’t want his readers to miss that the birth of Jesus revealed a reality of paramount importance: Jesus is the divine Son of God, the second person of the Godhead, “now in the flesh appearing.”

God was “with us” in its fullest sense.

In these simple words, a universe of meaning explodes. His divinity fused with humanity ensured His intimate experience of the human condition and His divine plan that would redeem humanity.

God’s “with-ness” is mind-blowing. The Incarnation is the ultimate gift and expression of His presence. But it is easy to hear it so often that we miss its implications. It’s possible to allow the noise of culture or the pain of our circumstances to dull our spiritual senses to the reality of His presence.

Will this Advent season be just another holiday of hustle and bustle, or will we experience the presence of the God who is near?

How can this happen?

I’m glad you asked.

This week, we will examine Luke’s Gospel, which provides a detailed account of the Incarnation. Through this lens, we’ll identify some insights and simple practices that can help us experience the presence of Immanuel this Christmas.

I believe the God who came near still desires to reveal His “with-ness” to you this season. Men, draw near to Him this week, and He will draw near to you.

Prayer: Lord, this week, open my eyes to the reality that You are with me. Help me to remove any obstacles blocking Your presence and nearness so I can experience the fullness of Your presence this Christmas. Amen.

Reflection: Pause today and meditate on the truth that God is “with us.” What do you most need from God this Advent season? Hear His invitation to draw near.