Emmanuel

WRITTEN BY SALLY MCCLUNG*

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.” Psalm 28:7

I can hardly believe that the year is almost over. It seemed to fly by quicker than expected. It was a year of contrasts: Joy and sorrow. Trials and triumphs. Healing and sickness. Smiles and tears. Peace and nervousness. Abundance and need. It reminded me of the book of Ecclesiastes—a time for everything.

This month is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus. I love this month! I’m so grateful He came, and I rejoice that He is our Emmanuel—God with us. I wouldn’t survive a minute without Him being with me.

When I am going through a rough time, my favorite thing to do is to take a few minutes and speak out what Jesus is to me. He is my Refuge. My Rock. My Fortress. My strong Tower that I run to. My Strength. My Healer. My Provider. My Comfort. My Encourager. My Companion. My sufficient Grace. My Joy. My Protector. My Hope. My Counselor. My Courage. I could go on and on. He is my Everything!

When I speak out all that Emmanuel is to me, it puts things in perspective. It balances things out. When I don’t do that, I can easily get overwhelmed with problems and forget that Emmanuel is with me.

I’m so grateful for His help and presence—day and night, 24/7, in whatever weather we’re having, during times of load shedding. I can call on Him with whatever need I have. It is such a comfort to know He’s with me. I’m not alone.

God never promised to keep us from all of life’s storms and problems. BUT He has promised to go with us through them. I am so grateful that He is WITH us and helps us when we call on Him!

Jesus, You brought God to us. You helped us understand the Father. You taught us to talk to Him, live with Him, and listen to Him. You are genuinely “God With Us.” We praise You today as we remember You humbled Yourself to become a baby, a child, a man, a human being, when You already existed as Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. May we ever seek Your manifest presence. Amen.

*Sally McClung is a speaker, author, and mission’s leader, residing in Cape Town, South Africa. She is the wife of the late Floyd McClung and co-founder of All Nations, which equips people from many different cultures to share the good news of Jesus in more than 30 different countries each year. You can read more about Sally and her unexpected journey at: floydandsally.com