So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  John 4: 40

For the next few days I want to focus on Jesus being with people throughout his life. He is our Emmanuel. God became human and fully understood the human struggle, our cares, our joys, our battles, our grief and pain. Next week, we’ll focus on the nativity, but now, I want us to see Emmanuel in action!

​Jesus and the disciples journey from a feast in Jerusalem back to Galilee. Most Jews avoided the route they took since it passed through Samaria, their “enemy”. In John 4, we get a clear view into Jesus choosing to be with people who others didn’t see as worthy. When they first arrive in Samaria, the disciples leave Jesus at a well to go into town for food. Meanwhile Jesus talks with a lonely woman who came to draw water at the heat of the day. She is clearly choosing to avoid the towns women in her shame. We find out that she has had five husbands and in currently living with a man. Jesus doesn’t rebuke her or shame her. Instead he offers her eternal life and declares to this foreign, shame-filled woman that he is the Messiah, for the first time. She brings out the town to see him and they beg him to stay. Not only is the one conversation against cultural and religious regulations, he has compassion on this village and stays with them for two full days. Ladies, Jesus is not just for the seemingly perfect church ladies. He is with us in our messes, in our shame and regrets. He lifts our faces and joins with us in our loneliness. He seeks out those who others cast off. Let us open our broken places to him and allow him to fill us with his living water!
 
Lord Jesus, thank you for seeing us completely and still loving us immensely. You know all the messes of our lives just as you did the Samaritan woman and you love us anyway. Help us today to loosen our fears and let you heal our most broken places. I pray we’d find freedom from shame and hope for the path and purpose you have for each of us. Thank you for being with us today, no matter what!

He tends his flock like a shepherd: he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11

Two days in a row of favorite verses. This one I consider my mama verse. Oh, how I love the sweet gentleness of our Savior described here. Our good shepherd does not beat his sheep into submission. He lifts them in his arms and carries them against his chest. I imagine the lamb resting its soft head against his chest and hearing the lulling thump-thump of his heart beat. I want to be that lamb. (insert a deep breath here). Then it continues. He gently leads us mamas (and papas) who have young. Gently. Don’t we need to be led gently? We are so hard on ourselves…okay at least I am. Opinions about mothering jab at us at every turn…sleeping, feeding, potty training, homework battles, screen time, the list goes on, but I’ll stop there cuz I don’t want to send any new mamas into a panic attack! Jesus knows us mamas and he knows our sweet (or sometimes not so sweet!) lambs. He gently leads us. Oh, how I need that today. Oh, how I am thankful that he knows my kiddos and their strengths and struggles. Rest in his leading you today, sweet mama. He’s got you and your people.

Father, thank you for being our gentle shepherd, caring for our babies and leading us mamas. We need your presence with us today. Thank you for continually reminding us this month of your being near us, with us, within us and of your mighty power. This mom-life can be overwhelming. We need you to guide us. Show us the way to go as we parent our kids, no matter what stage of life they are in.  

God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day…The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:5,7
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Can I just say that Psalm 46 has become my new favorite! If you have the time today, sit with the whole psalm. Emmanuel is all over it! I could talk about this psalm for days…so hard to narrow down a focus for us today. The context of this Psalm reminds me of the battle between king Hezekiah and the Assyrians from yesterday. Jerusalem is threatened. Daybreak was a common time of battle back then. The psalmist declares that God is within her. I know that this refers to Jerusalem, but it’s so rare to see “her” in the Bible. It just catches my attention and I want to put my name in here…anyone else with me, ladies?! With the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, I feel like we can indeed take this to mean us! God is within each of us! We will not fall. He will help us at the break of day! I struggle with anxiety and at times, my mornings can feel like an uphill battle, feeling overwhelmed and like I’m failing before I step out of bed. This verse is one I want to commit to memory and say on those tough days…God is within me! I will not fall! God will help me as the battles surround me! He is with me! He is my fortress! Let’s walk into this busy, often overwhelming and sweet season today with that confidence!

Father, Emmanuel, thank you for the power of your Holy Spirit in us like a river of life. Thank you that you keep us from falling, that you fight our battles with us and for us. Thank you that our souls are safe in your hands. We ask that you’d give us a peace that passes understanding in this hectic season. Help us to love on the people in our lives with your love and rest in the powerful stillness of your presence.

With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and fight our battles. 2 Chronicles 32:8
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King Hezekiah is one of the good kings of Judah who follows God’s way and destroys the alters and high places of false gods. The king of Assyria lays siege to the city of Jerusalem during Hezekiah’s reign. Hezekiah quickly sets to work, diligently getting the city ready for battle. When he assembles all his leaders and soldiers, he speaks these works to them. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.” Sound familiar? Again and again, we are reminded in the Old Testament that God fights his people’s battles. He is the one who brings the victory to his people, despite absurd odds. The people are told to have courage when their eyes scanned the vast army and fear crept in. The King of Assyria only has the strength of people on his side, but God is on the side of Judah! As the siege continues, the Assyrians fling insult after insult at God and try their best to terrify the people. Hezekiah and Isaiah pray together and the Lord answers mightily! The Word says that God sent and angel and annihilated all the fighting men, officers, and leaders of the Assyrian army. The king returns home in disgrace. God brought peace to Hezekiah and Judah. What can we take away from this story for our lives? Let’s be like Hezekiah and walk uprightly before the Lord. Let’s do the work before us…preparing for battle…and when life gets tough, let’s hit our knees together. Let’s cry out to our powerful Father to bring victory!
 
Lord, thank you that you are with us. In the struggles we face daily, we need you. Help us to walk rightly with you as Hezekiah did and to come to you first when trouble hits. Father, in you we have power greater than any enemy. Grow our faith to see that victory rests solely in your hands, not our own. Thank you for being with us always.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
 
Forty years have passed since Joshua and Caleb explored the promised land and the people rebelled against God. They have wandered in the desert for forty long, sandy years, learning to trust God more, and waiting for God’s timing to bring them into their future home. Moses has died and Joshua is now leading the people of Israel. The time has come finally arrived to enter the land. At this moment, God speaks to Joshua. The gist of God’s message…do not be afraid; be strong and courageous; know and follow God’s Word exactly; I will go with you wherever you go. What jumps out at me is how many times God tells him to not be afraid. Here’s the man who stood up with courage all those years ago. Even with great faith, one can still battle great fear. It’s a daily battle to lay down our fears and take up courage and remind ourselves that God is with us. Our fears urgently plea to be heard and followed, but when we are walking along where God leads, he will lift our heads and guide us in paths of victory. Shortly after God speaks to Joshua the people conquer their most feared opponent, Jericho. Following God’s lead, the people hardly fight at all. They walk around with God, blow horns, and shout at the top of their lungs…nothing their own understanding would have led them to do. But with God, nothing is impossible. With God, impenetrable walls crumble, giants fall, and victories come in the most unexpected ways! Let’s take courage and lay down fear today. Let’s remember who leads us to victory and walks with us each and every step of the way. God is with us today, my friends! I am so thankful for Emmanuel!
 
Father, lift our heads to see you when we are afraid. Help us to be strong and courageous as we face life today. You lead us to victory. Help us to trust you even when it’s difficult and we want to try to control it. Help us to follow your Word, your gentle leading. Lord, we thank you for being with us wherever we go. Whatever we face, help us to rest in your leading and direction.  

Numbers 14:9
Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.
The Hebrews arrive at the border of the promise land (the first time) and they send 12 spies to scout out the land for forty days. Just as the Lord has promised, it is lush and bountiful, just as they dreamed. Yet, the people of the land are mighty, some are even near giants. Ten of the twelve spies are terrified and spread fear among the people to not go up and take the land God promised them. At this moment, Caleb and Joshua, the only two spies with hope, speak to the assembled people these words. Do not be afraid of them…the Lord is with us.

The people compared the battle ahead to their own weakness while Caleb and Joshua compared the battle to God’s strength. Sadly, the people went their own way and followed their fear. Caleb and Joshua led the next generation into the same promise land forty years later. I would like to ask us the same question they were met with years ago. Do we compare our struggles to our own weakness or to God’s mighty power and understanding? When God is with us, who can defeat us? With God at our side, what giants will tremble and fall? In your life today, what giants loom over you and cause you to shake with fear? Take some time to rest in the fact that God Almighty is with you in that battle you face today. Let’s invite him to take the reigns and lead on.
 
Lord God, we face giants each day of our lives. Please walk ahead of us in battle and give us faith like Joshua and Caleb to see our struggles compared to your mighty strength rather than our own weakness. Give us the courage to believe you truly can bring victory and freedom.

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. Leviticus 26:12
 
In this part of the Old Testament, after explaining all the laws of Holy Living to the Hebrews, God begins to recite his blessings for them. I love these words…I will walk among you. Years and years before Christ, we have a picture of his walking in our shoes, along our roads, among us. God came near. God placed his dwelling with us…first in his tent of worship, then in Christ being with us, and finally through his Holy Spirit making his home in our hearts.
The second part of this verse speaks to me of belonging. I think we all long to be part of something that matters…a family, a team, a relationship, a company, a church… When we uproot and no longer feel our security in belonging to whatever we were a part of, we feel lost and long to latch onto something new. The God of our souls knows this need and I think he also has this need. Over and over in the Old Testament, God repeats…I will be your God and you will be my people. We belong to God. That part makes sense…he is our creator. The next part blows my mind…HE BELONGS TO US! The God of the entire universe, the Almighty, the Creator, he is ours. He puts himself out there for us to hold onto. More than the company we work for, the church we attend, the friends we have, we belong to God Almighty and He belongs to us. That to me speaks a security that satisfies, a soul rest in my Father’s arms. And yet, we are so human and forget and search for what’s right in front of us and lean on what this world has to offer rather than focusing on belonging to God. I know I sure struggle with this. Today, let’s spend some quiet resting in the Father’s arms, knowing He belongs to us and we belong to Him.

​​​​Father God, you are our creator, our Mighty God, and yet in your love for us, you understand our need to belong. Help us find peace as we focus on our belonging to You today. Thank you for making your dwelling with us and walking among us. Lord, help us to walk step by step with you today. In insecure moments, help us to look to you to satisfy, to fill us rather than reaching for the world’s quick fixes that increase the ache of our souls.
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My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14
Israel is free of their bondage to Egypt, but in their desert wanderings, they quickly fall into the slavery of idol worship. Moses climbed up a mountain to meet with God and the people believe he’s not returning. They make a golden calf to worship instead. How quickly we replace God with something more tangible and convenient when waiting on the Lord seems to take forever. Who’s feeling the conviction here? I know I am.  Well, God’s anger burns toward the people and he declares to Moses that he will not continue with them or he would surely kill the people. Now, Moses is desperate and begs the LORD to remain with them. This is when our verse today is spoken. God hears Moses’s prayer and promises to remain with the people and give them rest. I would love if this rest referred to life being easy for them, but it doesn’t. It refers to the promise land. He will be with them and will eventually give them their promised inheritance in Canaan. He’s declaring that he will continue with them all the way to the end of their journey and beyond. He will bring his promise to completion and they will enjoy the peace that will come when they securely have possession of their land. Hebrews 4 continues this talk of rest and extends it to us. The author implores us to make every effort to enter into God’s rest…into our soul’s rest. Our confidence comes not from our good deeds, but in Jesus, who like Moses, goes to the Father for us and intercedes for us. He is our perfect bridge to God. He lived with us. He was tempted in every way and yet was without sin. He can relate to our struggles and pain, and yet he is the perfect Son of God. He can intercede for us sinful people more powerfully than Moses could. More than that, he died in our place and rose again to conquer death itself. May we today enter God’s throne room and receive the grace and mercy we need in our time of need. His Presence goes with us today and his rest is at a soul level. No matter what we are waiting for or struggling with, the Lord’s Presence is with us and through faith in Jesus, our souls can find deep rest.
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Father, thank you for going with us in life. Help us today to put down the idols that so easily tempt us to question you or give up on you. Help us to hold firm to our faith in you. Thank you that your Spirit goes with us. Thank you that we have soul rest because Jesus took our punishment for us and brings us to your Throne of grace. We fall at your feet and wait for your timing, trusting in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

And God said, “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:12
I love how humbly Moses begins his leadership. The mighty man of God who will write the first five books of the Old Testament, who God will use to perform miracle after miracle, who will see God pass before him on the mountain, whose face shone with being in God’s glory…this same man begs God to send someone else at the start. God spoke to Moses from the burning bush to call him into leadership, to call him to be the voice of a compassionate God to his oppressed people. God has come to deliver them and bring them to the promise land…a promise that began more than four hundred years before. From the hindsight we now have, it seems silly that Moses would beg to not go. But, I can totally relate. He ran from Egypt forty years before and had lived peacefully and in obscurity as a shepherd. He had a family and had settled down. It’s hard to leave what’s known and comfortable. God promises Emmanuel. “I will be with you.” It’s this promise and that of sending his brother with him that finally calms Moses into agreement. He will not be alone on this adventure…The Almighty God who Sees goes with him. He will have community with his brother. Today, let’s rest in the fact that like Moses, God goes with us where he calls us to serve. He sees our struggles; he knows our hearts; he understands our weaknesses and insecurities and promises to never leave us or forsake us. Let’s be Aarons to each other today as well. Let’s be people who come beside each other in our calls and serve together. Let’s lift each other up before the Lord. Let’s be a community of believers wherever we are that brings courage and strength in our collective call to be the hands and feet of Christ to a hurting world. 
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Father, thank you for seeing our suffering and not leaving us alone in it. Thank you that just as you saw your people enslaved and delivered them, you will break the bonds of our slavery to addiction, to false securities, to unhealthy relationships. Lord, we pray for freedom and hope today. Lord, as we walk into the call you’ve placed in each of our hearts, thank you for the promise of being with us. We are never alone. Give us the courage to walk with you today. Help us to lean on you and each other when life gets difficult today. Amen.