I AM WITH YOU, watching over you constantly. I am Emmanuel (God with you); My Presence enfolds you in radiant Love. Nothing, including the brightest blessings and the darkest trials, can separate you from Me. Some of My children find Me more readily during dark times, when difficulties force them to depend on Me. Others feel closer to Me when their lives are filled with good things. They respond with thanksgiving and praise, thus opening wide the door to My Presence.
I know precisely what you need to draw nearer to Me. Go through each day looking for what I have prepared for you. Accept every event as My hand-tailored provision for your needs. When you view your life this way, the most reasonable response is to be thankful. Do not reject any of My gifts; find Me in every situation.
- Jesus
Scripture Insight: Matthew 1:23 and Colossians 2:6-7
(Jesus Calling / Sarah Young)
Matthew 1:23 - The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means "God with us."
ReplyDelete(New International Version)
Jesus was to be called Immanuel - Jesus was God in the flesh; thus God was literally among us "with us." Through the Holy Spirit, Christ is present today in the life of every believer!
Colossians 2:6-7 - So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (New International Version)
Receiving Christ as Lord of your life is the beginning of life with Christ. But you must continue to follow his leadership by being rooted, built up, and strengthened in the faith. Christ wants to guide you and help you with your daily problems. You can live for Christ by committing your life and submitting your will to him; by seeking to learn from him, his life and his teachings; and recognizing the Holy Spirit's power in you!
Paul uses the illustration of us being rooted in Christ. Just as plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, so we draw our life-giving strength from Christ. The more we draw our strength from him, the less we will be fooled by those who falsely claim to have life's answers. If Christ is our strength, we will be free from human regulations