Emmanuel--God With Us

"God with us." What does that mean? For God to be with us--He had to come to Earth. To come to Earth He had to become a man. God, man. The Creator becoming a helpless babe.
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Come down to earth He did. And no matter what time of year it actually happened, it is beautiful to consider. Six years ago when I was "great with child" and ready to deliver I considered it daily. I gave birth to my tiny son a week before the celebration of Christ's birth, and as I would stroke his soft little head I thought a lot about Mary and how she must have felt. The awe consuming her soul. She knew He was holy. "And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:35 She had a mother's love for her firstborn, but also the love of the created for her Creator. She knew He was more than her baby. The perfect baby. I've often wondered about that.
There are so many beautiful Christmas carols to listen to this time of year. The words are sacred and thought provoking. Some of my favorites include:
"O Holy Night"
"O holy night....Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices. O night, divine, O night, when Christ was born."


"Silent Night"
"Silent night, holy night/Son of God/Love's pure light/Radiant beams from thy holy face/With the dawn of redeeming grace/Jesus Lord at thy birth/Jesus Lord at thy birth"
"Hark! the Herald Angels Sing"
"Christ, by highest heav'n adored/Christ the everlasting Lord/Late in time behold him come/Offspring of the favored one/Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see/Hail th'incarnate deity/Pleased, as man with men to dwell/Jesus, our Immanuel!/Hark the herald angels sing/Glory to the newborn King.
Hail! The heav'n born prince of peace/Hail! The Son of Righteousness!/Light and Life to all He brings/Risen with healing in his wings/Mild he lays his glory by/Born that man no more may die/Born to raise the sons of earth/Born to give them second birth/Hark! the herald angels sing/Glory to the newborn king!

From "Mary's Boy Child"
"Oh My Lord
You send your Son to save us
Oh my Lord
Your very self you gave us
Oh my Lord
That sin may not enslave us
And love may reign once more."

I could quote song after song. It is wonderful to turn on the radio this time of year and hear praises being sung. Often, the singers do not know the Lord as their Saviour, but think of the testimony these holy words bear! He was born a Babe so that someday He could cry out "It is finished!" and we, His creation could have entrance to Heaven--to be with Him. Emmanuel--God with us. Wonderful.