Immanuel

A book I've been reading posed the following question:

How would your life be different if you began and ended each day with the firm belief that God is with you?*

The book takes 26 of the names of Jesus and discusses them, the first of which is Immanuel: God with us. I was excited that Immanuel was the first name in the book because I've thought a lot about the notion of God with us in the past couple years. In a sermon Harvey give once at Living Stones, he talked about how all throughout the Bible there are passages that mention God not only being with us but desiring to be with us.

He was there in the beginning before creation (Genesis 1:1).
He was there walking with Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:8).
He was there as a pillar of smoke and fire leading the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land (Exodus 13: 21-22).
He was there in the Ark of the Covenant with the Israelites (Exodus 25:8).
He was there in the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chronicles 7:1-3).
He was there with us in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18).
He is here, dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; 38).

These are just a few examples. Over a period of about 18 months, I read through the entire Bible. As I read I could not help but notice that all throughout the scriptures--both Old and New Testaments--there are references to God with us. In just about every story, the idea was implicitly implied, if not explicitly stated, all pointing to God with us. I would love to go back through and jot down all the references.

So I ask myself, and I challenge you to ask yourself, how would my life be different if I lived like I really believed that God is with me? Would it change anything?

* Spangler, Ann. Praying the Names of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006. 17.