God Is With Us!
And they shall call His name
“Immanuel”…“God with us.”
Matthew 1: 23
The days around Christmas can be lonely for many people,
but there are ways to instantly recognize the presence of
God near us. After all, that’s the core of Christmas. God
wanted fellowship with us. He gave Jesus the heavenly
name of Immanuel—"God with us.”
Here are seven ideas for letting
the presence of Christ cheer you:
(1) Praise Him, even if you don’t feel like it. Start talking to Him
out loud, thanking Him for blessings you’ve experienced.
(2) Listen to hymns and worship music. If carols make you
melancholy, play an upbeat version of “Blessed Assurance.”
(3) Read through the book of Philippians, circling
the words “joy” and “rejoice” every time they occur.
(4) Confess sins. Often our sense of God’s presence is hindered
by something in our thoughts or behavior we should confess.
(5) Overhaul your prayer list, bringing it up to date.
(6) Find a small task to do in Jesus’ name.
(7) Light a candle. The temple contained a lamp,
and Jesus said He was the Light of the World.
Don’t let yourself become discouraged. Get up,
get busy, and remember God is with you
