“GOD WITH US” – DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS!

WORD FROM THE CENTER:
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2024

Welcome to “Word from The Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections on His Word. I’m Gregory Seltz. Today’s verses are Matthew 1:21 and 23b, where an angel of the Lord tells Joseph this about Mary:

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins….they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

“GOD WITH US” – DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS!

Who could refuse a peace that lasts because God Himself is with us? Well, many do. Why? Because as sinful, rebellious people by nature, we tend to settle for counterfeits, instead of the real thing. When offered an eternal peace that comes from sins forgiven, we would rather settle for peaceful circumstances, or just our temporal “peace of mind,” right? We want the peace that comes with bills paid, relationships intact, body/health doing fine, and purposeful work to do for as long as we’d like to do it. Instead of “God with us” no matter the circumstances, we would rather just have circumstances to our own liking.

Let this Christmas, then, be a time of reflection when you think about what it means to have faith in the Savior who is “God with us” no matter the circumstances of the moment. That’s the offer that faced Joseph that first Christmastide. He had so much on his mind. Mary was pregnant, but the child wasn’t his. What would he do? How would he face the sneers of the people of his community? He had a bit of courage; he reasoned that he would try to protect Mary amidst his disappointment, “divorcing her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). But then things changed dramatically. Suddenly, an angel appears saying, “Do be afraid to take Mary as your wife” (Matthew 1:20). Why? Because God is at work in ways that you can’t totally understand. Joseph could have run for the hills. But, thankfully, Joseph put His faith in God’s Word and wouldn’t settle for anything less than Mary as his wife, and Jesus as His Savior, no matter the personal cost of the moment.

Christmas and Easter are vital to us because they deliver what we really need. It’s the reality of sins forgiven and eternal life secured. It’s the promise of a peace that lasts, peace that endures no matter the present trouble. And that’s what our Bible verses tell us today. They tell us about the peace that God brings when He comes into our world, when He promises to be with us in all circumstances in this world, and that in Him we will live forever in heaven. It’s the peace that comes when you know that there is one who is able, one who is capable, and one who is with you in all things to bring you blessing. Faith in Him says, “Nothing else, and surely nothing less.” “O come, O come Emmanuel,” come mightily into our daily lives. For when “God with us” is also God “for us,” we can face whatever comes because our lives are secure in His hands. When we realize that IN CHRIST we have more than ENOUGH, then life becomes a journey of “God with us” that experiences His abundant joy, eternal life, and a peace that lasts amidst whatever circumstances come our way. A blessed Christmas to you all!!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, give us the wisdom and the faith of Joseph to take You at Your word, even when circumstances seem to the contrary. And give us a sense of what it means to live life with faith in the God who came into our lives to save us, “God with us” even now. AMEN

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