O Come O Come Emmanuel

God is with us. From the beginning, that’s where he has wanted to be— with us. In the first few chapters of Genesis, it appears that Adam and Eve were accustomed to hanging out with God in the Garden of Eden. Can you imagine just strolling through a garden with God, eating delicious fruit from the trees, and playing with animals roaming around!

The Bible is filled with stories of God reaching out to chat with us through all of human history. He instructed Noah to build the Ark. He promised Abraham that he would become a great nation and that the world would be blessed through him. The book of Exodus is filled with conversations between God and Moses. It all sounds so commonplace and uncontrived. Yet, if you stop and think about it, it’s absolutely amazing that God communicates and communes with US! 

Ultimately, God came to be with us in the person of Jesus. We needed more, and he gave his all. The Son of God left behind his glory and came to live among us. He walked with us, cried with us, ate with us, laughed with us, loved with us, celebrated with us, and prayed with us. Jesus experienced life and emotions as we did. He taught us God’s ways. He brought us back to the Father. He healed the sick, raised the dead, and defeated death on our behalf.

Before he returned to heaven, Jesus promised that he would always be with us. In our sorrows, in our joy, in our fear and triumph, in sickness and health, in our loneliness and our relationships, Jesus abides. In wealth or poverty, wholeness or brokenness, freedom or captivity, understanding or confusion, peace or war, God is with us. God sticks with us whether we dive into the depths of the ocean or walk on Mars. He is with us in life. He is with us in death. He will remain with us for all eternity.

God joins us when we get together in his name. The Holy Spirit prays with us. God inhabits our praise when we worship. The blood of Christ has made us holy and he dwells in our hearts.

This is the God we worship. This is the God we trust. This is the God we serve. He is the God who loves us so much that he just can’t stay away. This is Emmanuel. God is with us in our past, our present, and our future.