Do you ever feel disconnected from God? Are the problems, struggles and disappointments that come with living in this crazy world causing you to feel that God is somewhere ‘up there’ but that He is in no way a part of your daily life? Regardless of how you may feel, as a Christian, God is always with you!
Certainly Joseph felt alone, confused and disillusioned when He found out that, although they had never ‘come together’, Mary was going to have a baby. He was a just man; but this was unforgivable. Surely he felt justified in the decision to end the relationship with the woman betrothed to him. But while Joseph was thinking deeply about all this he fell asleep. Then an angel came to Joseph in a dream and explained that Mary had not been unfaithful. The angel told Joseph who the baby growing inside Mary really was; the Son of God, Jesus, the long awaited Savior (see Matthew 1:18-21).
Then we learn that Jesus’ birth was foretold by a prophet of God hundreds of years before (Isaiah 7:14). We also learn that Jesus is ‘God with us’!
- Matthew 1:22-23 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
‘God with us’ is something we continue to struggle with; attempting to fully comprehend this unfathomable truth. The creator of the universe took the form of a man and lived in and among His creation. God had previously displayed His visible glory throughout the history of the Jewish Nation (the burning bush (Exodus 13), crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14), at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19 & 20), in the tabernacle (Exodus 40), in the temple (2 Chronicles 7), etc.). He even temporarily empowered certain people with His Spirit (Judges 6:34). But to actually live among His people?
Imagine how John the Baptist must have felt when He saw Jesus.
- John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
How did it impact Peter when God revealed to him just who Christ was?
- Matthew 16:18-17 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Some saw His heavenly glory.
- Matthew 17:1-3 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Yet they interacted with Him as a man.
- 1 John 1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
These men, and many others, understood exactly who Jesus was: God is the flesh!
- John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Many even had the privilege of seeing Jesus after He rose from the dead.
- 1 Corinthians 15:4-8 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
- See also Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20-21
Although we haven’t yet had the privilege of seeing Jesus in the flesh, He promised blessings on those who believe on Him anyway.
- John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus even prayed for us!
- John 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
As Christians, one of our greatest blessing is to know that God (the Father, Son and Holy Ghost) is always with us.
God Is
Around Us
God is Always Everywhere
- Psalm 139:7-10 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
- See also Amos 9:2-4
In Us
Individually – As Believers
- John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
- 1Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
- 2 Corinthians 1:22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
- Ephesians 2:22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
On Us
As Our Spiritual Armor
- Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
- In Ephesians 6:14-17, Christians are told what spiritual armor to wear (by the way, we are never told to take it off). This armor consist of the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes Prepared with the Gospel, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God).
- Other verses of scripture reveal who our spiritual armor is – Jesus Christ!!
- Truth – John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
- Righteousness – 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- Gospel – 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, … 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
- Faith – Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Salvation – Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
- Word – John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
God was prophesied to be with us. God came in the flesh and lived among us. And as Christ ascended to Heaven at the completion of His first coming, He made a promise to always be with us!
- Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The presence of God in the life of a believer
does not depend on our feelings;
It is guaranteed based on the
truth, authority and power of His Word!!!
Prayer
Father, I pray that the promises in Your Word to always be with us will bring Christians enduring peace and comfort. I also pray that these same promises will draw those who are not Christians into a personal relationship with You where they are completely surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Thank You for Your grace, mercy and love. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
