God With Us! — Abide In Him

For Dec. 3-4.

We’re using Matthew 1:23 to focus our Advent meditation on the wonder that God wants to be with us.

“‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel’

(which means, God with us).”

Matthew 1:23

Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden to get our bearings. When God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, it was good. Though God had lovingly and clearly warned Adam and Eve, Satan lured them into the horrors of sin. Genesis 3:8 says,

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day,

and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God

among the trees of the garden.”

What had once been a sound of fellowship and joy, now had them hiding. With all we can learn from this moment in history, our purpose is to document God’s desire to be with us. He would bring counseling questions to lead Adam and Eve to truth. We see that He wasn’t keeping them from something good. He was protecting them from something awful.

The most horrific fruit of sin is that it separates us from God. But He didn’t leave us there. While Adam and Eve made a desperate attempt to sew fig leaves that would wither, Genesis 3:21 says,

“And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins

and clothed them.”

Blood was shed to point us to the cross; the only way we could be covered and regain fellowship with God who wants to be with us. Jesus was born to be the sacrifice to regain fellowship between God and man. Immanuel!