Week 1: Day 5

Scripture: Isaiah 8:5-17

Immanuel. In Isaiah and Matthew, the prophecy finds a name. A baby will be born and he will be called Immanuel. God with us. God would come to rescue and to save and to put back together. But he would also come near. He would come in community and in intimacy. He would come near as a sanctuary for the hearts of the terrified, the lonely, the broken. The god of the universe came to earth to be with us. With us in our triumphs and when all of it falls apart. With us in the moments we never could dream of and with us the moments we never knew to dread. God with us, our comfort and the battle cry of our hearts.

Put me on the wild ocean, and let my ship dance madly on the waves; I would still say, “Immanuel, God with us.” Mount me on the sunbeam, and

let me fly beyond the western sea; still I would say, “God with us.” Let my body dive down into the depths of the ocean, and let me hide in its caverns; still I could, as a child of God, say, “God with us.”

-C.H. Spurgeon

You are not alone. Immanuel is near.

Prayer:

 Oh Immanuel, oh God with us.

Our Deliverer, You are Savior.

In Your presence we find our strength over everything.

You are our redemption.

You are God with us.

You are here, You are holy.

And we are standing in Your glory.

Amen.

(adapted from the song “God With Us” by All Sons & Daughters)