• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Bible Reflection God with us

God with us

Posted on May 22, 2022 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment


A friend of mine who is a pastor sometimes says that he has no problem thinking that God has included him as part of the group plan, but he does have a hard time connecting with the thought that God has loved and included him as an individual.

I can very much relate to this sentiment. There are times when I wonder how God could love me as an individual since I know how far short of anyone’s standard I fall.

Reflecting on this brings back memories of lining up to get picked for kickball in elementary school. Since every kid got put on a team there was no question about whether I would be included, but there were huge questions about whether I was wanted by the captain who chose me.

Yet, one of the names associated with Jesus is Immanuel which is translated as “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Jesus himself promised to be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). There are no qualifications to this bold statement. Jesus gives us no indication that we can mess this up in any way.

Jesus is with us no matter what.

Now, the grammarians in the group might look at Matthew 28:20 and point out that the “you” is plural, so we still have the issue of whether I am accepted as part of the group or as an individual.

To answer that question, I point to Matthew 11:29 where Jesus says, “take My yoke upon you.” The “you” in this command is also plural. Thinking about this for a few moments will cause us to realize that we cannot collectively take up Jesus’ yoke, taking up Jesus’ yoke is an individual decision. We individually come into relationship with Jesus and follow his commands.

So, Jesus is “God with us” as individuals. He is with me, he is with you and he is with every other believer. And because he is with us, he understands the joys and the difficulties we face. Furthermore, he promises to see us through until the end. If you doubt this, see Philippians 1:6 where Paul tells us:

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

So, Jesus is with us:

  • When we succeed
  • When we fail
  • When we are joyful
  • When we are sorrowful
  • When life is good
  • When life is difficult
  • When we feel loved
  • When we feel rejected

The bottom line is that Jesus is God with us at all times.

We are never alone, even when it feels like it.

If you are encouraged by this post or would like to make a comment, please use the comment form below to offer your feedback. If you are reading this in an email and would like to comment, you can reply to the email or click on the “Read in browser” link below to go to the web page where you can enter a comment. I enjoy hearing from you.


Filed Under: Bible Reflection

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Near and Far

Paul’s lament in Romans 7 of his inability to live as he knew he ought to live. We are encouraged to know that we are not alone in our sense of falling short of where we’d like to be.

What I Learn from the Missional Movement

I recently overheard half of a phone conversation regarding the “missional” movement and the “Emergent Church” which prompted some thoughts. My thoughts gravitated to the two great commands. The first is to love God with my entire being. The second is to love my neighbor as myself. We, as humans, seem to prefer extremes – […]

Digging Deeper

Spelling vs. Writing – A lesson for church leaders

Can we admit the fact that we like being the one who knows the answer? Can we admit that sometimes we respond with our primary motivation to be admired for our knowledge? After we repent of our pride, we can then seek to be used by God to assist others in drawing into deeper relationship with Jesus.

Paths of Righteousness for His Name’s Sake

In Psalm 23:3, King David writes, “he leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” While there is benefit to me in walking a path of righteousness, my benefit is not the primary purpose of God’s leading me. David points to God’s reputation and God’s purpose as the reason for the leading. […]

Church Sign

Jesus does not agree with this church marquee . . .

A picture of a church marquee stimulated thoughts on the exclusive claims of Jesus.

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2022 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in