When U Pray

“The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel.” (Immanuel means “God with us.”)
Matthew 1:23 ERV

I’m the kind of person who is deeply moved by music. Yes — I’m that person crying during gospel songs because my heart becomes overwhelmed. There’s a song called Emmanuel, and when the choir sings it, everyone at our church knows I’ll be on my feet, singing loudly, off key, but with my whole heart. That song touches me every single time.

This morning, on my way to church, I had to make a quick detour. As I was driving, I noticed a building that has been there forever, but for some reason today was the first time I truly saw it. Its name was Emmanuel. I sat at the light staring at that sign, and my heart filled with joy. No one was outside, nothing special was happening, yet my soul was instantly warmed.

GOD WITH US.
What an amazing truth. God with us means you can rest your heart and mind because everything is going to be okay. God is with us. He will keep us in perfect peace. He will fight our battles, win our wars, and steady our minds.

When my heart is overwhelmed, I can trust that He is with us. I can trust that whatever the current situation looks like, it is not the end. I used to keep a sign on my desk that said, “Everything is okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

That’s what seeing the word Emmanuel means to me:
It’s not the end.
God is with us.

“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be ‘Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.’ His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end…”
Isaiah 9:6–7 ERV