Emmanuel

Hello First Church Family & Friends!

Take a moment and slowly read this powerful promise from God taken from Isaiah 60:1-2:

1 Arise, shine; for your Light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2 For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.

One of my favorite names of Jesus is "Emmanuel," which in Hebrew means "God is with us." The Father loves His creation so much that He sent His Son to set aside his heavenly privileges and walk with us and to be the Light that casts out the darkness of our world. The promise in Isaiah reminds me that God had long ago planned to break into our world and deliver us from sin, hatred, and brokenness to restore us with righteousness, grace, and wholeness. What a privilege it is to have God with us!

As we journey towards our celebration of Christmas, let's all commit to not getting lost in the "craziness" of this season, but slowing down to see the God who walks with us and is our Light through the darkness.

Blessings,
Pastor David