Matthew 1:22-23 - 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” (Isaiah 7:14)
Reflection: I would guess I’m not the only one who reads the last chapter of a book first so I know how it ends. It’s a control thing. I like to be prepared for what’s coming. I find security in that. But we live in an insecure world, and so I find myself coming back to the thought that the only true security is in Christ and the promises that God has made. There is a deep sense of security in knowing that the story has all been foretold in the Old Testament and lived out in the New. It is so common to say: “God has a plan”, but when you sit back and think about it God TRULY had a plan from the beginning.
The prophet spoke of Mary, the virgin, becoming pregnant with the Christ Child back in Isaiah, and then that very story played out throughout the Gospels. What a beautiful thing! We have a God who told us in advance that our HOPE can be placed in the hands of this child, and we just need to believe. Then to seal the deal, He named this child Immanuel: “God is with us.” Period. What more do we need than that? Sometimes, people refer to trusting in Christ as a leap of faith, but when everything that was written before the birth of Christ actually happens after His birth, is it really a leap? To know that God promises to always be with us and to always loves us, that is the best form of hope and security.
Beth Duffy
Prayer: Lord, please keep our eyes open to your promises and our hearts open to trusting in those very promises. I pray that the world doesn’t cause us to stumble, but that knowing you are with us always provides us the security to seek you. I pray that we not only know You are with us, but that we would feel Your presence, in every moment of our day. Knowing we don’t have to do it on our own, but that you sent your Son to be born of a virgin, gives us the hope we long for and the path you have for us more visible. We are so thankful for these gifts, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection: I would guess I’m not the only one who reads the last chapter of a book first so I know how it ends. It’s a control thing. I like to be prepared for what’s coming. I find security in that. But we live in an insecure world, and so I find myself coming back to the thought that the only true security is in Christ and the promises that God has made. There is a deep sense of security in knowing that the story has all been foretold in the Old Testament and lived out in the New. It is so common to say: “God has a plan”, but when you sit back and think about it God TRULY had a plan from the beginning.
The prophet spoke of Mary, the virgin, becoming pregnant with the Christ Child back in Isaiah, and then that very story played out throughout the Gospels. What a beautiful thing! We have a God who told us in advance that our HOPE can be placed in the hands of this child, and we just need to believe. Then to seal the deal, He named this child Immanuel: “God is with us.” Period. What more do we need than that? Sometimes, people refer to trusting in Christ as a leap of faith, but when everything that was written before the birth of Christ actually happens after His birth, is it really a leap? To know that God promises to always be with us and to always loves us, that is the best form of hope and security.
Beth Duffy
Prayer: Lord, please keep our eyes open to your promises and our hearts open to trusting in those very promises. I pray that the world doesn’t cause us to stumble, but that knowing you are with us always provides us the security to seek you. I pray that we not only know You are with us, but that we would feel Your presence, in every moment of our day. Knowing we don’t have to do it on our own, but that you sent your Son to be born of a virgin, gives us the hope we long for and the path you have for us more visible. We are so thankful for these gifts, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.