He is Immanuel – God with us

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,

and will call him Immanuel –

which means, God with us.”

Matthew 1:23

One of the greatest reasons to praise God is that His presence is with us continually.   Years before the birth of Christ the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the messiah would be born and his name would be Immanuel – God with us. God’s presence is without limits.  We can’t contain Him.  He is equally present everywhere at every moment. It may have been a long time since you felt the presence of God but Psalm 139 reassures us that we cannot escape His presence no matter how hard we might try. The Psalmist writes, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?”  (Psalm 139:7) Later the Apostle Paul writes that nothing can separate us form God’s love. (Romans 8:37-38) God is intimately aware and involved in all that is going on in your life. How comforting it is to know that no matter how lonely you might feel at any given moment in time – God’s presence is there with you?  He will never leave nor abandon you. (Hebrews 13:5)

Thomas Kelly was a Quaker living between 1893- 1941.  He was known as a man of genuine devotion and wrote about becoming a Holy Sanctuary of adoration. I love that picture!  Imagine that your body is a temple, a sanctuary, or a place of worship. Make it a habit to offer continuous adoration to the ever present Christ. The transformative power of praise is that when you praise Him for His presence, the Holy Spirit awakens your heart to feel His presence.

Praise Challenge

Today focus your praise time on the presence of God. If possible get down on your knees as you begin your worship time. Turn on some soft worship music and try to tune out every other sound or distraction. Then begin by praying, “I praise you Lord Jesus, because your presence is right here with me. I praise you because you live in me. I praise you that nothing can separate me from your love. (Romans 8:37-38) and nothing can separate me form your presence. (Psalm 139). Praise the Spirit living in you that when you don’t know how to praise god He can praise God through you. Then throughout your day look for evidence that God’s presence is with you. Maybe His presence will show up in an answer to prayer, or maybe you will see His presence in the face of a loved one. Be intentional about praising Him every time you are notice His presence.