Already There

One of the truths I tend to hold onto a little more tightly around this time of year, is that God is near.

In Matthew 1:23, the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and reveals,

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.”

- Matthew 1:23

The word Immanuel is a combination of two Hebrew words, “ ‘immanu”, which means “with us”, and “ ‘el”, which means, “God.”

He is Immanuel, God with us.

And just the thought that the God of all creation is with you and me brings me so much comfort in this season. I was chatting with my son Omri this morning and while he is getting bigger by the day, and older - he’ll be 10 in a few weeks! - I just melt from the fact that he still enjoys cuddling with me. It may be the fact that it is just a little more chilly outside this month but, I like to think it’s because he still deeply loves his mama and enjoys my hugs.

Well, today he asked if I would cuddle with him before bed and when I wake him up in the morning. And it just warmed my heart to know that my sweet boy hasn’t gotten too cool to cuddle. He just wants me near him. And I thought: What a perfect depiction of our Father!

He just wants to be close to us.

The Word says that when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us (James 4:8). There may be times when we don’t feel that He is close, but He truly never leaves our side.

Psalm 34:18 reassures us that even in our pain, He is there:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

- Psalm 34:18

So, today, will you rest in that truth? That God is with you? And as you carry out your day, acknowledge His presence, talk with Him, walk with Him. Like any earthy relationship in our lives, communication helps it grow. Well, the same is with God.

Be intentional by spending time with Him today -  because He is already there.

Som Tami

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