God is With Us…and it’s a good thing!

This is it.  The center of the target.  The Main Point.  Possibly the most opposed truth in all the cosmos.  God is WITH US.  Now.  Here.  Where you are.  Where you are going to be later.  Where ever you go…there He is.

Isaiah the prophet said that Jesus would be named “Immanuel” which is to say God with us.  God with us, God about to be with us, and God ALWAYS BEING with us.  I hope this doesn’t scare you.  Depending on who has told you about God, and what they have told you, you might not want God to be WITH YOU.  Trust me.  It’s a good thing.

The Bible says that in the life of Jesus we see an exact representation of God.  You want to have lunch with Him?  Invite Him to your wedding? (He can help your caterer!).  You want to talk to Him when things aren’t going well?  (He can help your therapist…)

I fear our picture is that, since He is God-being-with-us, we better straighten up.  He’s watching.  Well, He is watching, but He likes you more than you think.  Look at how He acted with normal humans in the Gospels.  People who screwed up.  People who suffered loss.  People who were hurt and afraid.  He came near them to bind up their broken hearts and heal their wounds.  If you had a friend who did that stuff, you would want Him around all the time.

God is with us.  Not only with us He is also for us.  There is a reason we call it Good News.

I think it will affect our actions to know He is with us.  Not just that we would not misbehave…

I think we would listen after we spoke as though He might respond…

I think we would expect Him to do things when we ask…

I think we would introduce people to Him, and not to a religious idea…

I think we would worry less…

I think we would be courageous…

I think we might even like ourselves more…hey…the God of the Universe is hanging out with you…maybe you’re the cool one now.

I think we would rest more…

Look Carefully…there He is.