How to Find God’s Presence, When We Don’t Feel It
Immanuel
God with us….it is a common phrase during the Christmas season, but where do we get this phrase, and how can it be comforting? Is God’s presence really good? Even when we don’t feel it? The phrase “God with us” actually comes from Matthew 1:18-25 when the angel speaks to Joseph in a dream. Imagine. Joseph is a man of God, who desires to do what is right, but suddenly what he believes is right is wrong. He must take this virgin, Mary, even though she doesn’t seem like a virgin anymore. The angel says, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel.” This ”prophet” the angel quotes from is Isaiah. The Hebrew word for Immanuel is only found in Isaiah 7:14. God with us, as a child, is referenced because it is God’s presence that we need.
In the dream, an angel of the Lord says this child is the One that has been promised and He will represent God’s presence with mankind. Up until this moment God’s presence was majestic, awesome, and with grandness beyond our human experience! The Israelites saw this presence in the form of fire and cloud in Exodus. David and Isaiah saw God’s presence as a throne filling the earth with glory.
Now, in the womb of a girl, God’s presence would take on the form of a small child – a baby. And what does this say to us today? God’s presence can’t be neatly tied up in a box. God’s presence is both powerful and personal. It seems like a paradox. But here we have it: God is with us. In the form of the Son of Man, Jesus, as flesh and blood, but now God’s presence is found in a relationship with that Son.
Our feelings lie to us, so when we feel God is distant, we need these three ways to find God’s presence again, especially when we don’t feel it.
How to Find God’s Presence, When We Don’t Feel It
1. Speak the truth. Tell yourself the truth. Repeat Bible verses about God’s presence over and over again. (Here is a good list.)
2. Stand firm. Don’t give in to doubt. We do not fight against flesh and blood, but spiritual forces. Read Ephesians 6 and equip yourself!
3. Stay silent. It is in our nature to do something. When we face the doubts and feelings of sadness, we want to fix it. God often asks us to be still and stay silent. Read Psalm 46 and be encouraged that God is mighty to work behind the scenes.
These are not magic formulas. If you want practical help, try one of these things (or all of them), but it will take work to feel God’s presence. And sometimes feelings won’t come at all. That is where we live the truth in faith. On the shores of the Red Sea in Exodus 14, as the Israelites faced the impossible, Moses and the Israelites had tangible evidence of God’s presence.
Tweet ThisToday, we have access to God’s presence through His Word. Our Bibles hold all of the truth, the power, and presence of God we will ever need. Do you want to see God? He is not hidden, as some might say. He is found in the pages of scripture. We open our Bibles and we will see Him there, even when we don’t feel it.
Need a reading plan for Christmas? It isn’t too late. Try this Christmas Reading Plan here.
With this incredibly easy, yet in depth guided journey into the book of a Bible, you will:
- Read the Bible…and understand it
- Understand the words…and go beyond, to the historical import
- Read this letter written to the early church and learn how to apply it to your life today
- Gain confidence in your ability to read the Bible, understand it, and then do something with it
And it won’t take hours out of your day (because goodness knows, you don’t have that much time right now…and that’s okay, friend).
