Tuesday, December 23, 2008

character and name

Emmanuel -->(עִמָּנוּאֵל)"God [is] with us"

Inspiration for meditation: Avalon's "El-Shaddai"

God is with us. this seems easy enough to understand
He's with me. all of us. individually.
not just sometimes. not just on sundays.
not even just in the mornings during QTs.
always.

FOREVER.

and so...
God is with me when i pray to him for strength to keep working
with me when my heels hurt while standing for hours
with me when i say thank you to the customers
with me when i pray for them/their children while bagging their purchases
with me when i'm having difficulty keeping patient
with me when i'm yelling at my brother for annoying me.

but what i think is glorious. is that he's not just with me. but feels what i go through. the pain, the joy, the annoyances... and disciplines me through it. and he's with everyone i interact with as well. he's with them as they go through their day.

He came to be with us in human flesh. then leaving, he gave us himself in a spirit form so that never again would we be alone. but from that point on, we were considered part of a holy nation and priesthood...

Emmanuel.
God with us.

Forever.

Always.

--------------------------------------------------------

19 I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
20 I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD.
23 I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.'
I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people';
and they will say, 'You are my God.' "

~Hosea 2:19-20;23