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God with Us

Monday December 07, 2015

Where was God during the Paris shootings? Where was God when a man and a woman gunned down dozens of people in San Bernardino California? Where was God when hundredths of Christians were captured and murdered because of their faith? Where was God when you were hurting? Or maybe the better question is, where is God?

Approximately seven hundred and fifty years ago, before Christ, the king of Judah found himself surrounded by the Syrian and Israelite armies inside the city walls of Jerusalem. The king and the people of Judah were greatly distressed and full of fear because they knew their enemies were about to destroy them. God however sent Isaiah the prophet with a message. It read: “if you don’t place your trust in me, you won’t have a leg to stand on.” King Ahaz was a wicked man who never walked in the ways of the Lord. Therefore, the message delivered by the prophet was not reassuring to him; so the Lord sent a second message.

Isaiah 7:10-14 NIV

The Lord then sent this message to King Ahaz: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign of confirmation. Make it as difficult as you want; as high as heaven or as deep as the place of the dead.” The king however refused.

“Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

The Lord, in essence, offered Ahaz the opportunity to ask for whatever sign he wanted. Since he refused, the Lord said that He would choose the sign whether the king liked it or not. The Lord said He would choose a sign that would forever remind the people that He was God and could be trusted. The sign was that God Himself would enter the world to let all people know that He would save and rescue all that place their trust in Him.

Seven hundred and fifty years following the story of Ahaz, an angel of the Lord appeared to a young girl called Mary. The angel said: “do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”

Matthew 1:23 NIV

 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Can you appreciate the significance of this? God sent us a sign two thousand years ago. This sign allows us to wake up each day with the assurance that we can confront any form of physical, emotional, financial, relational, or spiritual challenge including death with the certainty that Immanuel, God is with us.

God prevented Ahaz from being defeated by his enemies. However, when he died, he was not buried with the other kings of Judah because of his wickedness. If God could save this wicked man from his enemies, think about what He would do for you if you place your trust in Him. I ask you: What would a person in your shoes do if they were completely certain God was with them?

 Merry Christmas!