Matthew 1: 22, 23 "All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 'Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means "God is with us."'"
Immanuel. God with us. It's a wonderful idea. It's a great caption for Christmas cards. But is he? Is he with us? You see, today I am wrestling with sorrow. A lot of it. Sorrow in the world and sorrow in the lives of my friends. I have been reading lately about Belgian exploits in the Congo in the late 1800's, Jew hunting Nazis in Holland in the 40's, and child slavery in Asia today. Pain and sorrow reach every decade, and every continent. I also have been wrestling with sorrow in my friends lives. Sorrow closer to home. Miscarriages, abuse, marital struggles and deaths in the family are a reality these days. In these moments of sorrow and sadness I wish for a God who was with us. Is he and if he is, how can I share that? How can I show that? I believe God was and is with us. I do. I believe Jesus is near to each one of us. I pray today I can share his love with those around me. I pray that his joy can conquer the sorrow I see today. Today this sorrow needs a Savior.
