There are times when we feel alone, but Jesus’ name—His very essence—promises that He is with us.

“‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”  Matthew 1:23 (tniv)

One summer, I did a Bible study on the names of God. The one name out of all of them that seemed especially important was Jesus’ name, Immanuel. God had several names throughout history, but for His Son, He chose “God with us.” He didn’t choose “God who sees” or “the Lord my rock” or “God almighty.”

Instead, He chose, “I am with you.”

I am with you when you interview for that job. I am with you when you first fall in love. I am with you when you grieve over a lost loved one. I am with you when you celebrate your birthday. I am with you when you get into that car accident. I am with you when you hold your child in your arms—I am holding you too. I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

There are times we feel all alone, but Jesus’ name—His very essence— promises that He’s with us, even if we don’t feel Him. He’s there to protect us. He’s there to teach us. He’s there to comfort us. He’s there to guide us.

The way we live our lives should be different because Jesus is with us. We can be stronger, bolder, more loving. Our God is not up in the heavens looking down. Our God is right here with us.

FAITH STEP: Are you feeling alone right now? Pray and ask Jesus to help you remember He’s with you. Then write down things you can do to live more boldly because you know He’s with you every step of the way.

Written by Camy Tang