Emmanuel
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)
As I drew on my paper, the name Emmanuel [Immanuel], came to mind. My drawings are a form of stress relief, and a way to concentrate on the one true God who loves us all and desires our communication and love in return. A form of worship and meditation. ‘God with us’, what a wonderful thought. As the world seeks God in their many ways, he is not far from us all. We do not need to plead for his attention, for the name ‘Emmanuel’ indicates, he is near, he is with us. He just needs our attention. I will admit at times I have a deep loneliness that seeks to overwhelm me, but many years ago, I was reminded by God, that I am not alone, the Father, Son, and Spirit are always with me. Not only is God with us, but Isaiah wanted to declare that God will watch over and protect the house of David. It was a great time of turmoil within and without the nation. Despite their fear and lack of faith, God was near, God heard their cries for help. And yet, it also means so much more because God intends to watch over and protect us all. God did not put the salvation of his children into the hands of another, he came to make sure it was done right; he came himself to secure his children, to bring them back under his protection and love. And yes, his love for us has never failed.
As I drew the name Emmanuel on my paper, I asked myself, ‘Who is this, Emmanuel?’ It is the Son of God, the Son of Man. He is the connection removing the distance we made in our fallen state of sin. Jesus removed all the barriers when the veil tore in the temple at his death (Matthew 27:51) securing the way to the Father through the Son and by the Spirit. God is with us now and forevermore. The Hebrew word ‘EL’ means ‘God’ and in the middle of the word ‘Emmanuel’, is the word ‘man’. I like to think it is pointing to our connection, protection, and the love of God.
‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ (Romans 8:38-39).
Prayer
God of Love, we thank you for your redeeming love that you poured out on us in your Son Jesus Christ. You are our comfort and our strength. We praise you God, and give you our love. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
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Study by: Anne Gillam About the author: |
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