“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
The village police chief was having breakfast at the local coffee shop with the new pastor in town. It was a great time of fellowship as the chief loved the Lord and certainly the dear pastor did as well. The conversation was really special as the men talked of their faith, families, and occupations in the town. Across the diner from them sat two old men. “Obviously, Pastor, you’ve probably noticed the two old guys. Charlie on the left loves the Lord and has walked with Him for years. His life has been hard. But it is amazing to see how the Lord has helped him. He always says, ‘The Lord is with me and that is just what I need.’ Unfortunately, Sam is another story. Sam has rejected Christ and has lived a bitter life. Charlie still comes to try to reach Sam. You can really tell the difference on the faces of the two guys. Sam has lived a bitter life of rejection, but Charlie loves the fact that, well, I guess you’d say, ‘Emmanuel, God with us,’ really is with him.”
For today: How will ‘Emmanuel, God with us,’ impact your life today?