A devotional from last week asked the question, "How is God with you?" When I hit this question my mind and my mental energies all began to focus on the power and the probing of the question. I stopped reading and thought about my response long and hard. I could imagine incidents and moments from my past, but when I got ready to journal about it, I drew a blank. Nothing to type, an empty written journal and even trying to talk through it failed. I drew a blank in every sense of the word.
It is not that God is not with me, or that I don't believe God is with me. I know and have known that He has been with me all of my life. It just seemed like there in that moment, staring at the question all I could do was see blurred scenes from my life. Yet, God is so good because this week, in an unrelated devotional the spark came to me and my thoughts returned. Here is what I know about God being with us and with me personally.
With us is God! We feel Him with us in the voice of a stranger who speaks a kind word, and in the voice of a loved one in whom the very sound of their voice gives us joy and comfort.With us is God! We feel Him with us in the comfort that we receive from a random act of kindness; the thought of a friend who says, "Today, you were on my mind and I prayed for you."With us is God! We feel Him with us in the moments when we have failed and we realize that failure is not final.With us is God! We feel Him with us in the moments when forgiveness is given, freedom is granted and life is restored to us again.
With us is God! We feel Him with us when prayers are answered, and even when we realize that they were best left unanswered.With us is God! We feel Him with us in the moments when a hope deferred is suddenly restored, and the long awaited for promise comes like the surprise of the Christ child.
With us is God! We feel Him with us when hurts are healed and wounded relationships are made whole again.With us is God! We feel Him with us in the moments when our tears are caught in His hand and we realize that He too weeps with us.With us is God! We feel Him with us when love is shared in the gentle touch of a spouse, the pure hug of a child or the reassuring touch of a parent.With us is God! We feel Him with us in the moments when fear and darkness are defeated by the power of love and the bright light of the Holy God.With us is God! We feel Him with us in the moments when the suffering and pain of this world collide with the joy of knowing we have the certainty of eternal life with no more pain.
With us is God! He is with us when we see signs of love, joy, peace and patience. He is with us when we are at our highest and we rejoice in the goodness and greatness around us. He is with us when we are down and out and our souls cry out in pain, anguish and disappointment. As the author of the 100 Most Important Bible Verses proclaims, God has transcended all of the limitations of time and space to be with us always and everywhere, and in all things.
Christmas time reminds me that Jesus is Immanuel - God with us (or with us is God). He has been with me when I cried at the graveside, when I wanted to quit in the classroom, when I sat in the ER mourning what could have been, when I with joy held a child, when I received the news of remission, when I felt loved and forgiven, when I said "I do", when I received His grace, when there was and there wasn't food on the table, when I lost my job and when a new one quickly took its place, and when I remember His goodness.
Christmas time reminds me that Jesus is Immanuel - God with us (or with us is God). He has been with me when I cried at the graveside, when I wanted to quit in the classroom, when I sat in the ER mourning what could have been, when I with joy held a child, when I received the news of remission, when I felt loved and forgiven, when I said "I do", when I received His grace, when there was and there wasn't food on the table, when I lost my job and when a new one quickly took its place, and when I remember His goodness.
With us is God and God is with us always.
