100 Words: Immanuel

As I lay on the couch with a sick child on me, I started to sing. The song that first came to mind was:

Immanuel,
Immanuel,
His Name is called
Immanuel,
God with us,
Revealed in us,
His Name is called,
Immanuel

The middle two lines stuck in my head and replayed themselves for the next few days. God with us, God revealed in us. There is the heart of the Incarnation, the Resurrection, Pentecost, and the entirety of the Gospel.

God is with us. He is not far away. He is not aloof. He is not dead. God is with us. He relates to us. He speaks with us, comforts us, and understands what it is like to go through the things we experience. But he also strengthens and encourages and makes us better - more like Him - so he can be revealed in us.

God is revealed in us. What a scary and beautiful thought. It is scary because I can be such a bad reflector. But what a beautiful thought because that doesn't matter to him. He will shine through shattered pottery and broken vessels. He will speak through stammering lips and stuttering tongues. He will be seen in hurting and confidence. And he will take those broken things and make them whole and new and lovely.

He is Immanuel - God with us, revealed in us.