God With Us

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is full of the incredible greatness of God. He refers to “the riches of his grace”¹  and “the working of his great might”² and that Christ wants to show us “the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us”³ and “the riches of his glory”⁴ and then prays that we might “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge”⁵ and claims that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”⁶ If God is so great then why do we live such ordinary lives?

The truth is that we spend a lot of time doubting God can do great things in us. The problem is that when we expect little from God, we generally get little from God. James says it this way: The person who doubts that God will give him anything “must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.”⁷ It is a sobering statement, but it makes good sense. Even we humans refrain from giving things to people who have made it clear they have no faith in us.

What God wants from us more than anything else is simply that we have faith in him. It’s what Jesus repeated to the crowds over and over. Even to his disciples he asked, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”⁸ Why do we have little faith? What are we afraid of? Mostly, we are afraid of being disappointed—in ourselves and in God. It’s a risk—faith. What happens if nothing happens? It’s a possibility. Disappointment. Discouragement. Despair. So, what are we to do?

Before Moses died, he appointed Joshua to become the leader of the Israelites, and Joshua was afraid. He doubted he could do the job, so Moses looked at Joshua, put his hands on his shoulders (at least that’s how I picture it), and said, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”⁹

There’s our answer. “The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” God is with us. If God seems distant and too mysterious to comprehend, we need only to remember this: God came down to earth! “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”¹⁰God is with us! And more than that. God is in us. His power is “at work within us.”⁶

Faith is not something we must conjure up. It is something that lives and is “at work within us”⁶ as we seek him. Faith begins with that knowledge and then grows as we allow God to penetrate our hearts and saturate our lives with his greatness as we understand and “know the love of Christ.”⁵ It’s why we celebrate and give gifts and decorate our houses. Immanuel. God with us.

¹Ephesians 1:7   ²Ephesians 1:19   ³Ephesians 2:7   ⁴Ephesians 3:16   ⁵Ephesians 3:19   ⁶Ephesians 3:20   ⁷James 1:7   ⁸Matthew 8:26   ⁹Joshua 1:9   ¹⁰Matthew 1:23