Daily Companion | 10 January
EMMANUEL
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” - Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)
Ravensbrück was a Nazi Germany concentration camp exclusively for women from 1939 to 1945 where Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie laid on filthy straw bunks amid despair and cruelty. One night, as lice crawled over them, Betsie whispered, “Thank You, Lord, for the fleas.” Corrie protested, “how could you thank God for such misery?” Yet later they discovered the truth: the fleas kept the brutal guards away from their barrack, giving the sisters freedom to hold secret Bible studies and prayer meetings. In that hellish place, hundreds of women encountered Christ and salvation. Through the very suffering, God’s presence shone brightest, Emmanuel, with them in the deepest darkness.
This is the heart of the great promise fulfilled in Christ: Emmanuel, God with us. King Solomon once stood in awe before the newly built temple and queried, “But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?” (2 Chronicles 6:18). The heavens cannot contain Him; how much less a house made with hands? Yet God’s longing has always been to dwell among His people. He commanded Israel, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).
But the wonder deepens beyond imagination in the New Covenant. God no longer dwells in a building of stone. He dwells in us. Paul declares, “Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16). Again he writes, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation now lives within every believer. The prophecy is fulfilled forever: “The heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore” (Ezekiel 37:28).
Beloved, you are never alone. In the storm, in the silence, in the struggle, He is your Emmanuel. God is with you. He does not merely visit; He resides. He does not watch from afar; He walks in you. Your heart is His sanctuary, your life His dwelling place. Because He is with you, fear must flee, darkness must retreat, and hope must rise.
And just as God’s presence turned a flea-ridden barrack into a place of light, your awareness of Him will transform every trial and draw others to the God who is near. Live today as one in whom God dwells. Carry His presence boldly into every room, every conversation, every challenge. The world is still stormy, but your light is on because Emmanuel has come.
Today’s Recite: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1 (NKJV)
Today’s Morning Prayers: Father, thank You for the unspeakable gift of Emmanuel—God with us, God in us. Holy Spirit, make my heart a worthy sanctuary for Your presence. Cleanse me, fill me, and walk with me today. Let Your nearness be my strength, Your holiness my guide, and Your love my witness. Cause those around me to know that You are real because You dwell in me forever. I declare: I am never alone, for Emmanuel is my reality, in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
Today’s Hymn: IN CHRIST ALONE
Today ReadMe: Genesis 29 – 31
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