Seeking Immanuel: Feeling God's Presence in the Hustle of Christmas

This Advent, let's remember the true reason for the season, God's gift of being "with us."

We are sure that many of you, like us, will have a busy week leading up to Christmas and the New Year. It's a great time of year to celebrate and remember all our Lord and Savior has provided us this past year. We appreciate all of you guys! Whether it was serving alongside us, attending social events, or reading our fist bumps each week. We are thankful for God's continued support alongside Seven24 as we celebrate this past year!

This week, we were reminded of the early prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, and then later in Matthew 1:23, "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").

We have all heard the story hundreds of times, but take a moment to let that settle in. God came to this earth to be physically with us. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about creation. God created us because he wants to be with us! How well are we doing at reciprocating our desire to be with Him? I know that many times, we get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of the workweek, activities, or commitments. Like any good relationship, it takes us being intentional and putting in the energy. Guys, it's not easy! 

Ok, but you may be saying…if God wants to be with me, why don't I always feel his presence? We get it, as we have reflected during our lives, there are many times when we don't feel as close to our God as we would want to be. But then, we remember that God gave us free will. He chose not to force us into a relationship with HIM. Guys, we have to make the choice! That's why God provided us with the Holy Spirit so that we have the opportunity to have God with us every second of the day.

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth," John 14:15 

Thinking back a few weeks to the Tuesday night that Will Swets spoke, and the dialogue within the group following. We felt it, and many guys in the room commented on it. The Holy Spirit was active, and we felt God's power in the room. When we seek him, God shows up!

"Blessed are those that keep this statutes and seek him with all their heart" Psalms 119:2

God has promised us that those who seek him will be blessed. We pray for each one of you guys this week in whatever life has for you and that our God will bless you. Also, we would seek HIM and feel the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.