God IS...

Immanuel! Yes God IS with us. This is ever comforting. He is my perseverance.
God is with you.
God is with me.
"Fear not, for I AM with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
I find myself pressing into this truth in my emotional aches that pang me for understanding, peace and God's perspective, longing for contentment in this life for my man, and crying out for the ability to surrender my 3M's to the King of Kings because whatever this earthly life may bring..
I have to believe that God IS with us...and this changes my life.
And if God is with us, He is also FOR us...the world whispers that He is not, how could a perfect God be FOR this chaos, mass confusion and violence, why the suicide rates, and stone cold faces, the wide open mouths of disbelief every time we see the news, the thousands that lose the battle to cancer, the many situations that bring hopelessness, and I could go on...
"But if God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
Just ponder that question. What if it's true that God is with us and that He is for us? I don't know your life but I know there are battles you fight daily that seem never ending. I can feel alone in my struggles...but something tells me that I'm wrong. Are our battles different yet the same? What are you believing in the midst of your pain - that God IS with you or do you just bank on that screen to be with you? I've tried that, oh facebook please rid me of my loneliness and deseire for adult conversation, or how 'bout all those times of hard to swallow news when you pick up your cellphone and can so easily call someone from your 'favorites list' ; they will know exactly what to say, right? But these days, I'm asking the Lord to help me to live like Mary as she journeyed with Joseph to Bethlehem. The quickest physical help she had was one earthly man named Joseph, and the faith that angels had been among her...yet without a cell phone she was tired, weary, and pressing on...she knew that God was with her and this MIRACLE that the angel presented to her was growing bigger and drawing nearer ever hour. This didn't seem to lessen the world's disbelief and the overwhelming bombardment of situations to try to detour and prevent and confuse...but guess what?
God is with us.
God is for us.
And if God be for us, who can be against us?
The stable held Immanuel and the animals sang his praises and the star shown brighter than the rest without doubt providing warmth, protection, and certain hope. A baffling overwhelming head shaking realization that this was not of the world....sustained by the One great God - the creator of the universe.
These days have me changing ... I've been kneeling on my knees. Not because I am holy but becasue I cannot stand any longer. I am undone, running out of words. From one conversation to the next, I fail to communicate God's faithfulness and sovereignty, seems the cracks in my voice and look on my face speak frailty to the others. I am a cracked pot. Here is the truth: God is faithful and this world is faithful to try to disapprove it. I won't let it. In the midst of my weariness, I find myself with tears running down my face with such passionate desire to trust that God IS good. I know that His love will endure...can His great faithfulness sustain you and me? 
Life is stepping towards another move...at this point, it can be hard to determine what type of move. It might be a physical and spiritual move, or it might end up being only a spiritual move within our hearts and minds. Whatever happens, I know it is going to be life altering. No one moves 5 times in 4 years without forever being changed and may it be because God is with us and God is for us. Yes!
This Christmas season, will you join me in fighting the tides of the culture and living the truth that "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US." Matthew 1:23
And will you fix your eyes up with me...as we each look in expectation for the 'star' that shines so bright to show us the way to go in our 'merry go round' lives...
"When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." Matthew 2:10
There are tears along the way, but joy will soon fill us forever and ever.
Endure. Don't give up. Fight the good fight. The WORD is living and active sharper than any two edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) Choose to declare it even when you and I ask 'why?' because
He
is
Immanuel.
God with us.
God for us.