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God is with us.

December 6, 2021

Psalm 85:8-13 | Isaiah 35:1-10 | Luke 5:17-26

I am humbled by the scriptures for today. Each one is a description of how God made his presence known to his people. And what a perfect Advent message. Emmanuel, God with us. To those who wandered in the desert, God was with them. To those who sat at Jesus feet or challenged his authority, God was with them.

But what about us, in 2021? Our lives are very different from theirs; or are they? When we are stuck in traffic, God is with us. When we grieve, God is with us. When we rejoice, God is with us. Sometimes it is very hard to let God be with us. We have a concept of a God who is far away and more academic-why would God be interested in the tiny details of our life.

Growing up, we had a Nativity that my dad had made. Each year it was placed on the desk with a chair in front of it so that a little girl, not quite 2, could climb up and play in the manger. I spent many hours telling stories with my “holy family” no one told me not to touch. I grew up with Jesus as part of my family, not a God we had to visit on Sundays. I don’t think it occurred to me to not let God be with me. God is family. God is with us.

This Advent I look to sharpening my eyes to see God’s presence, and to remember to let God into the tiny details of my life.

‘Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.’ Psalm 85:1

Cindi Lovejoy