Emmanuel

January 20, 2016

Devotions:

        Our salvation is based on a love relationship with our God.  His love is always available for us and it never changes.  What changes is our acceptance or rejection of His love.  Jesus is known as Emmanuel, God with us.  That presence never leaves us but is constantly with us.  It was His presence with Joseph that made Joseph successful.  It was His presence with Moses that mad His leadership successful.  God's presence with David made him a super warrior.  God's presence with Israel as seen in the book of Joshua made them invincible as they conquered the promise land except for one occasion concerning Achan.  God's presence did not always stay with His people in the Old Testament but Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would never leave the believer.  God purified our spirit in the new birth and made us His righteous temple.  Our spirits became His dwelling place.  When we sin then it is no longer I who sin but the sin that dwells within me, Romans 7: 17,20

        His presence is our blessing.  His presence is our success.  The more we are aware of His presence the more we expect His blessings on all that we do.  What we focus on is the direction our minds will direct us.  So we focus on how much He loves us then our lives will experience more and more of His love and reflect that love to the world.