God Is With Us and He Knows Us By Name

This was a little lesson that I shared with my ladies on Sunday night at our Annual Christmas Potluck and Ornament Exchange.  I thought I'd share it here in hopes that it might encourage some of you.  I know I was certainly encouraged as I studied it out and put it together.

Matthew 1:23~”Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

This was also prophesied in Isaiah 7:14~”Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is at 6,980,516,418.  The U.S. alone has 312,755,146!!

That is a lot of people!! I don’t know about you, but there have been times this year that my faith got really small and I wondered if I mattered to God.  I know that’s pitiful, but I’m just being honest.  Think about it.  How many of you have more than one child?  Do you ever get them mixed up?  Well, you probably don’t literally mix them up, but you might go to call one of their names and end up saying all of the other children’s names before you get to the right one.  That always happened to me with my mom and now I am doing it to my own children! Marco, Tar, um…Hann…ACK!...Naomi!! Haha!

But just as every mother truly knows each of her children, our Heavenly Father knows each of His.  He cares about our hurts and He cares about our victories. 

Friends, He has known us since before we were conceived!  Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”  

Psalms 139: 14 – 18 says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”

God knows us.  He is with us always.  His name even tells us “God with us”.

I am comforted in knowing that I am not going to get lost in the crowd, in the sea of people in this world.  God cares for you and He cares for me.  He has a plan for us.

One of my all-time favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11~ “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Have you faced heart ache this year?  Has illness touched you or someone dear to you?  Do you feel like you have been in a financial crunch all year?  How about your marriage or your children?  Are you lonely?  My friend, you are not alone! 

God is with us!! He is Emmanuel!  Isaiah 43:2 has been another verse that I cling to and it says, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

A friend of mine once reminded me of the story of the disciples at sea.  A terrible storm had come upon them and they thought that they would surely die.  Jesus was there on the ship and sleeping soundly.  They woke Him up and He rebuked the wind and told the sea to be still and the wind stopped and the sea was at peace.  He then turns to his disciples and asks them why they were so afraid.  He asked them if they had any faith.  The thing that my friend pointed out to me was that even though they were in a storm, He was there WITH them.  They did not have to face it alone.

I am just being transparent here.  There have been many times when I’ve fretted over something, only for the Lord to take care of it like He always does and then I am left feeling a little foolish…grateful, but foolish.  My faith can be so small.

The Holy Spirit is with you always. He makes intercession for you. 

Immanuel: God is with us.  He knows your name. 

Frank Gaeff wrote this song in 1901 when faced with some difficult trials.  He was reading 1 Peter 5:7 that says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

I pray that as the new year is upon us, you will remember that Emmanuel has come.  He is with us always. He cares about you and He knows you by name. 

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