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| Rev'd G. S. Adeyemo |
Introduction
The name Emmanuel is not just a title; it is a revelation. It tells us what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will continue to do. Jesus came not as an angel, but as a human born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. This means He understands us. He knows our pains, our fears, our struggles, and our limitations. Hebrews 4:15 (KJV) reminds us that He was “touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
His presence does not expire but He is with us in:
Times of peace and times of trouble
Times of abundance and times of need
Times of clarity and times of confusion
God With Us
The basic truth we need to know in time like this is, Whatever you may be going through as an individual or whenever there is palpable fear and trembling in the nation, people of God must remember that:
1. God is Present
2. God is Personal
3. God is Powerful
Isaiah 7 occurs during a moment of national fear. King Ahaz ruled Judah while Rezin ruled Syria and Pekah ruled Israel Ephraim. Syria and Israel formed an alliance to attack Jerusalem Isaiah 7:1–2. Ahaz and the people “trembled” because the threat was real but God sent Isaiah with a message of reassurance that Judah will not be destroyed Isaiah 7:3–7.
The people were afraid, but God intervened—a reminder that He never abandons His own. You will not be abandoned in the face of your struggles and adversaries in Jesus name.
How do I know this?
1. God is Present: God is with His people in times of fear No situation is beyond His reach. Though the kings planned evil, God declared: “It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.” Human threats cannot overrule God’s purposes because God is present.
2. God is Personal: He comes near in love to identify with His own in their real circumstances. He came in person to earth to experience what we experience.
At creation the original of God was and is to be in eternal relationship with man. Hence, He deposited Himself in the man created in His image. However, the relationship was breached as a result of the rebellion of the man against the will of God. The same thing continues to plague humanity and had created a chasm between man and God. Thus the Bible says, “For all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3: 23.
All efforts of man to bridge the gap had always been futile. Prophets were sent, angels came and laws were given to bring us back to God but to no avail.
God with us, a fulfilment in Jesus Christ. Christianity is not man reaching God but God reaching man. This season and it’s celebration is about a person. God is just above there waiting for us to return home but going out the way to come in person as a man to identify with us in all our struggles and futility. He has come to abide with us and taking on himself consequences of our sins so that we can be redeemed eternally. Immanuel is never a title of distance but of intimacy. It is about God’s presence as answer to our fear. He came through the birth of Jesus Christ to dwell with us permanently.
The practical implications of God with us are:
1. We are not alone in suffering
2. We are not abandoned in uncertainty
3. We are not hopeless even in death.
The final words of our Lord before ascension is, “...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world”
3. God is Powerful: God’s presence brings salvation, deliverance, prosperity and peace. God overrules the plans of the enemy. Human conspiracies cannot stop His purpose for our life.
Let us trust Him and see His deliverance in our life.
