Be There Always!
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and
bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23
When a loving father hugs his daughter good-bye as she
leaves for that first year of college, he might assure her,
“Don’t worry about anything; I’ll be with you every step of
the way.” Obviously, the father
isn’t going to be with his
daughter in dormitory, in
her classes, or in the cafeteria.
She knows what he means: “I’m here for whatever you
need. I’m supporting you, praying for you, believing in
you. I am always with
you.”
That’s what the word “Immanuel” meant in the Bible. Translated
literally, it can mean “God is with us” (Isaiah 8:10) or it can be a
name, “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14; 8:8). By it, Israel understood that
God would guide, protect, and provide for His people as promised
on many occasions (Exodus 3:12; Deuteronomy 2:7; Joshua 1:5).
In short, Immanuel meant, “I will never leave you nor
forsake you” (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). No wonder
God’s Messiah was given the name Immanuel.
God is with you today. Whatever you need,
He provides. He will never leave you or forsake
you. He is there to guide, protect, and provide.
