The With-ness of YAHWEH
6/7/23
All throughout scripture, like a beautifully woven rope spanning old testament and new, there is in the Father’s heart cry “I am with you”. It was always His hearts desire to be with us, for us to be with him. I am convinced that this is the gospel message summed up in one phrase, “Emmanuel- GOD WITH US”.
He was with us in the garden.
He was with us in the journey.
He met us on the mountain.
He met us in the tabernacle.
He met us in the prophets.
and then at last, the crescendo of all time, He himself came down to not just encounter us once but to make himself GOD WITH US, GOD IN US.
The other night I lay in bed watching an episode of the chosen. I found myself overwhelmed with emotion. It wasn’t a specific emotionally moving scene from the show. I was hit with an increased revelation of ‘God with us’. There was a deep increase of longing that I had not experienced before. I lightheartedly said to Him “Lord, it is a good thing that you created me to live now and not then. I wouldn’t have let you have a moment of alone time. You wouldn’t have been able to go to the bathroom alone.” “I want to be so close to you Lord, I want to climb inside of you and never leave.”
Then He whispered back to me, “That deep longing did not originate with you, that has been the deep longing of my heart since the beginning and that is exactly what I did.”
It was that deep longing to be near. So close that moved Him out of heaven, onto a cross and into a tomb and now into us. It is love’s heart cry for union that emptied out that tomb, released His Spirit and destroyed separation forever.
This changes everything friend. When this reality actually begins to move from the head to the heart, everything changes.
He has ended seperation and clinbed inside of us.
“DO NOT FEAR FOR I AM WITH YOU”
This is not a nice sounding quote meant to bring comfort in a time of difficulty. No, this is a rock solid promise of fire that transcends thoughout time and space, with the highest authority sealed by the blood of Yeshua himself. There is absolutely NOTHING that can seperate from the reality that HE IS WITH ME.
He is with me in the middle of my questions.
He is with me in my pain.
He is with me in my failures.
He is with me in victories.
He is with me in the laughter and in the tears.
He is with me in the disappointments.
When I am facing the mountain
When I am confused and feeling disillusioned
When I am angry and when I am celebrating
He is right here in the middle of it all and His presence makes all the difference.
I have found that throughout all of life’s challenges, our hope is not that circumstances will change, and things suddenly get easier. No, I have found that there are treasures hidden in every moment of life. Under the surface of all suffering there lies hidden gems of His heart and nature for the brave ones that would dare to believe in His goodness and with-ness. His with-ness is the greatest gift to all of creation, it is joy to the heart that awakens to its reality, and life that transcends death and the illusion of seperation. HE IS WITH US SO WE WIN.