So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:22–23
DID YOU KNOW that Jesus’ name is not just Jesus? His name is also Immanuel, meaning the Almighty God is with us. How comforting it is to know that our awesome Almighty God, who is also our loving Father, is always with us!
A precious brother shared with me that even as a believer years ago, he had a problem with alcohol, and every night he would be out drinking to the point that he could not even remember how he got home the next day. He tried everything he could to stop drinking, but failed repeatedly.
When Almighty God is with you, good things will happen in you, around you and through you.
One day, he went out with some friends for a game of squash. After the game, he laid down on the ground to rest. As he was resting, he felt Jesus’ presence come upon him and in that very moment, the Lord broke his addiction to alcohol and totally removed his desire to drink!
Today, this brother whom the Lord delivered from alcoholism is a key leader in my church. Isn’t it just like God to take the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, and the foolish things of the world to confound the wise?
You know, all our struggling, willpower, discipline and self-effort cannot do what the presence of the Lord can do in an instant. And who is to say that as we are talking about Jesus now, His presence will not take away something that is destructive in your life?
You see, you are transformed not by struggling. You are transformed by beholding Jesus and believing that He loves you and wants to save you.
Now, what does it mean to say “God with us”? We must understand it the same way the Hebrew people would have understood it. There is something beautiful here—this is the secret of Immanuel! The Jewish mind understands that when the Lord is with you, you become successful in every endeavor. Don’t just take my word for it. Look through the chronicles of Jewish history. The Bible records that whenever the Lord was with them in battle, the children of Israel were never defeated, and every military campaign ended in overwhelming success.
In fact, in the battle for Jericho, the city was theirs with just a shout (Joshua 6:20)! Why? The Lord was with them. Even in battles when they were outnumbered, they triumphed because the Lord was with them. It is no different for you today. When the Bible says that Jesus is with you, He is with you to help you, assist you, turn things around for you and make good things happen for you. He is not with you, as some wrongly believe, to condemn, judge or find fault! When Almighty God is with you, good things will happen in you, around you and through you. Expect this to happen to you today!
Today’s Prayer
Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are always with me. Help me remember that it is not my willpower, self-efforts or discipline that will give me victory over temptations and addictions, but Your presence in my life. Thank You for the good things that will happen to me and for me and my loved ones because of Your presence in my life.
Today’s Thought
Victory comes not by my willpower, but Jesus’ presence.
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Prince, Joseph. 100 Days Of Favor, Daily Readings From Unmerited Favor.