December 2022 Archives
Immanuel Has Come
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. God with us. Not just a nice thought but God’s promise to send a Savior that would rescue His people. Not from the cruelty of the Romans as many supposed but from an enemy just as deadly: ourselves (Matthew 1:21).
The Jewish people waited forever for the Messiah to arrive and, when He did come, only a handful recognized Him. They wondered if it was Him when He multiplied fish and bread to feed thousands of people. They hoped He was the one healing the sick and raising the dead. But when push came to shove, and He did not fit in the box they’d created for Him, they abandoned their anticipation and chose to have Him murdered. Little did they know, as they watched Him take His last breath, that Immanuel had indeed come, bringing the salvation that He had promised.
Thankfully, that is not the end of the story. Three days later, he rose from the dead and continues to live on in the lives of His children. For those who accept Him, He continues to give peace that passes understanding, love and forgiveness that would not be possible without His help, and a promise of eternal life to those who are faithful.
Immanuel has come and, even now, is here! If that’s not a reason to rejoice, I don’t know what is.
Does God Speak Today?
There’s an age-old discussion: Does God speak to individuals today, or is everything we need to know found in His Word? I would say the answer to that is both. It’s true that everything we need for life and godliness can be found in the Bible, but I have seen Him lead in personal ways as well.
The Bible has clear guidelines for how we are to live, the kind of people we should hang around, what God requires of His children, etc. If we are not doing the things He has already told us to do, then it is futile to ask for personal direction. However, for those who are full of His Spirit, He can give the wisdom needed for decisions you need to make.
For instance, if you are looking for a job, God can open and close the doors, but He can also warn you if you’re about to apply for a job that will not be good for you. He might know that the business will be closing down in six months or that the environment would not be good for your spiritual well being.
If you are looking to get married, He can make you aware that the person you are considering has a temper or won’t be faithful to the marriage covenant. These are things you may not see, but He does.
That said, He will never direct you to do anything that goes against His Word. I’ve heard cases where people insisted that God told them to divorce their spouse and marry someone else. God won’t tell you to do that because it goes against what Jesus taught about marriage. He won’t tell you to steal or to kill someone because He’s forbidden those things in the Ten Commandments.
I’ve had complaints from women who wondered why God allowed them to marry porn addicts or abusers instead of stopping them. In at least one of those cases, I talked with the lady before she married, and she had concerns; she just chose to overlook them. God will not usually physically stop you from making a decision; you will need to be listening for His still, small voice. And, when you hear it, you should take the way of escape. If you don’t, you have no one to blame but yourself.
Since we are human and often distracted with other things, it is possible to not hear God’s voice clearly. I believe this is one reason that people assume God doesn’t speak today. But I will also mention that if you make a decision that ends up being difficult, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you did not hear God’s voice. That would be a good time to do some soul-searching just in case, but it’s possible that God still wants you where you are for a reason. If you felt God’s leading, you will need to cling to that when everything in you wants to quit. Remember, though, that to everything there is a season, so be in prayer to know when that season is over.
The bottom line is this: If it doesn’t go against scripture and you haven’t heard a definite No from the Lord, you are not sinning by choosing what looks to be the best course of action. But if you are in tune with the Spirit, you will be right where God wants you which is the best place you can be.
