Four Powerful Words

See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” – Matthew 1:23, CSB

All my life, I have read it translated as, “God with us.” And even those three words have left me amazed by who God is. The God of all things took the name that conveyed his true heart’s desire: to be with us. But when I read this verse again this morning in the Christian Standard Bible, it opened up to me anew.

“God IS with us.”

God is with us right now…

• …for every victory and celebration we experience.
• …in every defeat and season of loss.
• …when the news you thought you’d never receive becomes the new reality that you have to live out.
• …during the seasons of uncertainty.
• …during the seasons of plenty.
• …during the seasons of want.

God IS with us.

Right now, as I type out these words and you read them, God IS with us. It doesn’t say that he will be right with us when he can. He doesn’t treat us like the client or patient who is next in line but can’t be with us in the moment because he is busy with someone or something else. No. God IS with us.

So let this sink in as we start this new year together. Read these four words slowly and let the beauty of this truth settle your soul and bring comfort to your heart. Let these four words bring healing to your overworked and anxious mind. Let these four words cause you to rest, to breathe in and out at a slower and peaceful pace.

God IS with us.