Another holiday season is over and all the decorations need to be packed away once again. Does Christmas make an impact on our daily lives? Here is a devotion that reminds us of what we are missing if we fail to understand “God with us”:

IN WORD Prepositions matter. Do we see God high above us? Far away from us? Beside us? With us? In us? These may seem like subtle distinctions, but they dictate how we relate to Him. They determine whether He is near or far, personal or impersonal, connected or detached. They powerfully shape our perceptions. We know where this ends, though. God has made it clear. He has said He will dwell with His people. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. He has put His Spirit within us. He lives and walks among us.
The last picture He leaves with us in His Word is a wedding. It doesn’t get any more personal than that. This is more than proximity. It’s intimacy. Those who perceive God as a hard master don’t particularly want Him to dwell among us. That’s scary. Those who think judgment triumphs over mercy would prefer that He keep His distance. In fact, that’s where much of the world lives; they reject Him to prevent the possibility of His rejecting them first. Isn’t that often how relationships work? We avoid wounds.
If we think someone doesn’t want to be around us, we pre-empt their rejection by choosing not to be around them. And if that’s how we perceive Jesus . . . well, the idea of God with us isn’t very comforting. That’s where the wedding comes in. This is no forced union. It’s warm and personal, loving and accepting, full of grace and commitment. It’s as safe as safe can get.
IN DEED The final words of Scripture assure us of eternal safety. No more danger, no more tears, no more evil. Nothing but the loving arms of a King who has given us His Kingdom. It’s a realm of celebration, joy forevermore. It’s a Kingdom of everlasting peace. “The relationship between God and a man is more private and intimate than any possible relation between two fellow creatures.” - C. S. Lewis (in “Heaven on Earth Devotional” by Chris Tiegreen)

The devotion reminds us that Christmas is not just a holiday to remember a past event in history. Rather, Christmas establishes a New Age where God dwells in and among His people. We no longer need to rely on prophets to hear God or go to the Temple to sense His Presence. God is with us daily in His indwelling Holy Spirit.
Are you living life with God – or are you still keeping Him at a distance? Are you enjoying His daily presence and blessing – or do you only go to Him when you need help? Don’t let Christmas just be a memory of the past. Let Jesus’ abiding presence transform your life daily. A good reminder is Jesus’ last sharing with His disciples in John 14 – 17. Read it this week, a chapter a day, and let it serve as a framework for how you live 2022. Have a blessed week! - from Singapore, Pastor Sam