The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17
This verse is a favorite to send to friends and family when they are stuck in the “wallows” or having a hard time. We remind them that while things seem impossible for us, we have a God above joyfully singing loudly over us! Wouldn’t it be awesome to hear that? The NIV says that God “delights in you.”
One of the worst things lost in the Garden of Eden (besides all humanity falling into sin) is that God was walking with Adam and Eve. It says when Adam heard God’s footsteps, he ran and hid. Can you imagine? God walking and interacting with us!
The promised birth of Christ was just that! It allowed God to once again be with us! It is an acceptable moment in your reading to let out a Whoop! or Yee-Haw! The God of the universe humbly left heaven and came to be with us!
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. —Luke 1:30-35
The promised prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled!
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. —Isaiah 7:14
Immanuel means “God is with us.” We can find joy in knowing that God is with us even now. Christmas is traditionally a joyful time of the year, but we all know that holidays can be depressing for many. God wants to remind us that He is still with us today!
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4
“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 43:10
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Take heart dear friends that the Bible is filled with scripture where God continues to remind us that He is with us, that He loves us and that He is rejoicing with gladness and singing over us today!
Family Discussion/Activities
Draw a picture of God singing over you.
What do you think it means when the Bible says “God is with us”?
