The God That Stays

Matthew 1:18–25
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). (Matthew 1:23, NIV)

Reflection:

The God who once stepped into our mess remains with us today, proving His love is not a distant memory but a present reality.

In the incarnation, God took on human flesh, entering our world with all its imperfections and struggles. As C. S. Lewis says, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.” It’s not only about who we will become in the distant future, but who we already are. During Advent, we often celebrate the Christ who came in the past and long for the Christ who will come again in the future. Yet we can miss the Christ who stays with us in the present. Immanuel, God with us, is not distant or disengaged. God walks with us now, fights for us now, comforts us now, and leads us forward until He returns to end all injustices and wipe away every tear.

Consider This:

• God’s willingness to lay aside divine majesty shows the depth of His love.

• The incarnation is God’s statement that we are worth saving, worth visiting, and worth staying with.

• The Christ who came is the Christ who still saves, still redeems, and still abides with us, giving us abundant life here and now.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for being the God who not only came to us, but who stays with us. Help me to live with awareness of Your presence today and find my hope, comfort, and strength in You. Amen.