“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:23, ESV)
Long ago, in the days of the Prophet Isaiah, the people of Israel rebelled against God. They sinned greatly. Isaiah was sent with words of judgment from God against the people. There was to be a time of great suffering due to the great sin of Israel. However, God’s judgment against the rebellious Israel would not last forever. God would have mercy. As a “sign” of this, God told Isaiah that one day, “a young woman (or virgin) shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14). This special child would “refuse evil and choose good” (Isaiah 7:15). This child would be God’s chosen sign for all generations of God’s greatness and mercy.
For centuries after the time of Isaiah, people associated this child born of a young woman (virgin) with the coming Messiah. Just as God predicted, this child would refuse evil and choose good. This child would lead Israel into days of greatness (just as predicted in Isaiah 7:17). When Matthew wrote the first chapter of his gospel, he included that old prophecy of Isaiah in the gospel. Matthew quoted Isaiah when he wrote, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23). Matthew associated the old prophecy of a coming Messiah, born of a virgin, with Jesus.
Matthew also mentioned something special at the end of the verse for today. He included the definition of “Immanuel”. It means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Just as Matthew equated the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 with the Messiah, Matthew also associated the Messiah with Jesus. Thus, Jesus was to be “Immanuel”. Jesus was meant to be “God with us.”
There will be many times in your life when you would like to know if God is with you. When suffering, in pain, in doubt, wouldn’t it be nice to know God is with you? When you don’t know which way to go, which road to take, which decision will help or harm, wouldn’t it be comforting to know God will walk with you through it all? I believe, as did Matthew, that when Jesus is a part of your world, God walks with you. God is beside you. You are not alone in your faith journey!
When I was doing mission work in Honduras, I needed to work alone at a mission house far from the rest of my team. I was driven by an interpreter to the mission house some two hours away. There, I worked all afternoon on a computer networking problem they had encountered. Their internet had been down for weeks. Despite knowing only a little Spanish, I was able to figure out their issue and fix it. By reconnecting them to the internet, I was able to help the mission keep close communication with other missionaries in Honduras as well as teams of workers and churches all over the world. The people were especially grateful.
On the way back from work at the mission house, the interpreter stopped our van in the countryside for something to eat. It was a local eatery of sorts, more like a shack with food to sell and a general store. While there, a family spoke of their work in the fields beyond the shack. The interpreter and I ate our meal, then ventured toward the fields beyond the shack. There, we saw a great mound of garbage, stretching a half mile. It was a dumping ground. Many families of men, women, and children were pouring over the mounds of garbage at the dump, looking for anything they could recycle, reuse, salvage, or sell. The interpreter explained that the dump provided adequate income for the entire village. The interpreter also mentioned that working there often made people sick. It stank to high heaven!
Standing there a hundred yards from the dump, I realized that nobody in the whole world knew where I was at that precise moment. My missionary team figured I would be at the mission house or driving back to meet the rest of the team. My family figured I would be in Honduras with the team. Nobody knew where I was at that very moment, except my interpreter and my God. I was 3000 miles from home. If I disappeared, nobody would look here. I felt very alone. I said a prayer for the Lord to watch over me. Then, I spent a little while talking with the villagers, encouraging them, speaking to them of our mission work, and showing them warmth and love. I set aside any fears or worry, and just let God work through me.
Though so isolated and far from home, I was not alone. Not for one minute. The Lord was with me.
Georgina was going through a terrible depression. She often would start crying at the littlest of things. When she returned to her apartment after work each day, she often felt isolated and alone. The one overwhelming comfort that helped her loneliness was when she read her Bible, prayed to God, and knew God was with her in the struggle.
While suffering in a divorce caused by an unfaithful wife, Karl was hit with a great sense of loss. His wife left him, moved into an apartment, and took their daughter with her. In a span of only weeks, Karl’s life went from living with a family to living alone. Instead of greeting his wife and getting hugs and kisses from his “little girl” after work, Karl returned to an empty house with painful memories for company. Despite all the hurt and pain of divorce, Karl did not succumb to anger and resentment. He did not fall apart in his lonely existence. Instead, he poured out his pain to God in prayer. Karl met with friends from church who gave him support. Karl was thankful that despite his wife’s infidelity and his daughter’s absence, he was not alone. Jesus was walking beside Karl… all the way.
Justin lost his mother during COVID. He missed her greatly. Her death came suddenly. One week she was all smiles, the next week she couldn’t breathe, and the week after that she was placed on a ventilator in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital. A mere three weeks after getting sick, Justin’s mother was pronounced dead. Because of COVID restrictions, Justin was not able to have a funeral. He was never even able to say goodbye to his mother. The one thing that kept Justin sane was a scripture written on a card sent to him by a friend. In that card was written the words from Psalm 23, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. For YOU are with me, Oh God! You bring comfort to me!”(Psalm 23:4). Justin made it through those dark days in the “valley of the shadow of death” by holding onto the notion that God was “with him”. Justin was not alone!
No matter what you go through, dear friend, know you are not alone. If you have asked for Jesus to be in your life, you are never left without HIM! God watches over your steps. The hand of God guides you. The Holy Spirit is working miracles around you. The Heavenly Father has prepared a place for you in HIS Kingdom! Whenever you find yourself feeling lonely, lost, or insecure, say a prayer. God’s angels will stand beside you. God’s presence will be with you. Why? Immanuel! God is with us!
For centuries after the time of Isaiah, people associated this child born of a young woman (virgin) with the coming Messiah. Just as God predicted, this child would refuse evil and choose good. This child would lead Israel into days of greatness (just as predicted in Isaiah 7:17). When Matthew wrote the first chapter of his gospel, he included that old prophecy of Isaiah in the gospel. Matthew quoted Isaiah when he wrote, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23). Matthew associated the old prophecy of a coming Messiah, born of a virgin, with Jesus.
Matthew also mentioned something special at the end of the verse for today. He included the definition of “Immanuel”. It means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Just as Matthew equated the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 with the Messiah, Matthew also associated the Messiah with Jesus. Thus, Jesus was to be “Immanuel”. Jesus was meant to be “God with us.”
There will be many times in your life when you would like to know if God is with you. When suffering, in pain, in doubt, wouldn’t it be nice to know God is with you? When you don’t know which way to go, which road to take, which decision will help or harm, wouldn’t it be comforting to know God will walk with you through it all? I believe, as did Matthew, that when Jesus is a part of your world, God walks with you. God is beside you. You are not alone in your faith journey!
When I was doing mission work in Honduras, I needed to work alone at a mission house far from the rest of my team. I was driven by an interpreter to the mission house some two hours away. There, I worked all afternoon on a computer networking problem they had encountered. Their internet had been down for weeks. Despite knowing only a little Spanish, I was able to figure out their issue and fix it. By reconnecting them to the internet, I was able to help the mission keep close communication with other missionaries in Honduras as well as teams of workers and churches all over the world. The people were especially grateful.
On the way back from work at the mission house, the interpreter stopped our van in the countryside for something to eat. It was a local eatery of sorts, more like a shack with food to sell and a general store. While there, a family spoke of their work in the fields beyond the shack. The interpreter and I ate our meal, then ventured toward the fields beyond the shack. There, we saw a great mound of garbage, stretching a half mile. It was a dumping ground. Many families of men, women, and children were pouring over the mounds of garbage at the dump, looking for anything they could recycle, reuse, salvage, or sell. The interpreter explained that the dump provided adequate income for the entire village. The interpreter also mentioned that working there often made people sick. It stank to high heaven!
Standing there a hundred yards from the dump, I realized that nobody in the whole world knew where I was at that precise moment. My missionary team figured I would be at the mission house or driving back to meet the rest of the team. My family figured I would be in Honduras with the team. Nobody knew where I was at that very moment, except my interpreter and my God. I was 3000 miles from home. If I disappeared, nobody would look here. I felt very alone. I said a prayer for the Lord to watch over me. Then, I spent a little while talking with the villagers, encouraging them, speaking to them of our mission work, and showing them warmth and love. I set aside any fears or worry, and just let God work through me.
Though so isolated and far from home, I was not alone. Not for one minute. The Lord was with me.
Georgina was going through a terrible depression. She often would start crying at the littlest of things. When she returned to her apartment after work each day, she often felt isolated and alone. The one overwhelming comfort that helped her loneliness was when she read her Bible, prayed to God, and knew God was with her in the struggle.
While suffering in a divorce caused by an unfaithful wife, Karl was hit with a great sense of loss. His wife left him, moved into an apartment, and took their daughter with her. In a span of only weeks, Karl’s life went from living with a family to living alone. Instead of greeting his wife and getting hugs and kisses from his “little girl” after work, Karl returned to an empty house with painful memories for company. Despite all the hurt and pain of divorce, Karl did not succumb to anger and resentment. He did not fall apart in his lonely existence. Instead, he poured out his pain to God in prayer. Karl met with friends from church who gave him support. Karl was thankful that despite his wife’s infidelity and his daughter’s absence, he was not alone. Jesus was walking beside Karl… all the way.
Justin lost his mother during COVID. He missed her greatly. Her death came suddenly. One week she was all smiles, the next week she couldn’t breathe, and the week after that she was placed on a ventilator in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital. A mere three weeks after getting sick, Justin’s mother was pronounced dead. Because of COVID restrictions, Justin was not able to have a funeral. He was never even able to say goodbye to his mother. The one thing that kept Justin sane was a scripture written on a card sent to him by a friend. In that card was written the words from Psalm 23, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. For YOU are with me, Oh God! You bring comfort to me!”(Psalm 23:4). Justin made it through those dark days in the “valley of the shadow of death” by holding onto the notion that God was “with him”. Justin was not alone!
No matter what you go through, dear friend, know you are not alone. If you have asked for Jesus to be in your life, you are never left without HIM! God watches over your steps. The hand of God guides you. The Holy Spirit is working miracles around you. The Heavenly Father has prepared a place for you in HIS Kingdom! Whenever you find yourself feeling lonely, lost, or insecure, say a prayer. God’s angels will stand beside you. God’s presence will be with you. Why? Immanuel! God is with us!