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10th Day of Christmas Giveaways with Micca Campbell

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12 Days of Christmas at KarenEhman.com

Welcome to the 10th Day of Christmas Giveaways!!!

12 days of Christmas at KarenEhman.comToday my friend Micca Campbell is here to share her post, “Immanuel, God with Us.” She is giving away Ann Voskamp’s book, “The Greatest Gift, Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas.”   Micca Campbell is an author of, Untroubled Heart, and a national speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. Micca’s passion is to help others Fear Less and Live More of the abundant life in Christ. Connect with her on Facebook, twitter, and her site at miccacampbell.com

To join in on the fun and be entered to win the various prizes, simply leave a comment on the post answering the question of the day. ALSO—one grand prize will be given to one person who comments on all 12 days.

The Grand Prize is a $50 gift certificate to Proverbs 31 Ministries store and a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com!!!

Now here is Micca for today’s post…

Immanuel God With Us

I woke to the cooing of my 8-month-old son in need of a dry diaper and a bottle. By the time I got to his room, I was fully awake to my reality. It was Christmas morning. Sigh. I had dreaded the arrival of this day.
It was the first Christmas after my husband’s death.
Most of my days consisted of loneliness and grief. I knew facing the holidays would be worse. I felt so alone.
My heart was joyless. There was no one to wish a Merry Christmas. No gifts to open. No celebration. For me, it was just another ordinary day of going through the motions. I’d care for my son and try to survive the grief and loneliness.
Have you ever been this lonely? Your situation may not be like mine, but I do know during difficult times God often feels distant. Uncaring. Unresponsive. Unaware. And yet, Psalm 139:7 challenged my feelings that Christmas Day.
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (NIV)
The Psalmist was clear. God is everywhere. There is nowhere I can go that God is not already there.
As I pondered this truth, hope began to rise in my heart. I am never alone because God is with me in every situation, good or bad.
Isn’t this the message of Christmas — God is with us? Isn’t this the essence of our faith — God is with us?
Perhaps this is what inspired Matthew to write: “‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means, ‘God with us.’)” (Matthew 1:23).
That name, Immanuel, holds great significance for you and me.
This Name tells us Christ didn’t come that holy night to say “well done.” He didn’t come to pat us on the back or encourage us for just a time. He came to stay. God came to dwell among us and to reside within us forever.
Sure, God has always been with us, but this truth took on a whole new meaning when Jesus was born. The astounding truth of Christmas is that God put on human flesh and became one of us.
That’s not all. This baby Jesus didn’t come only to walk among us. He came to deliver us and set us right with God. The coming of Jesus meant God the Father had now sent His Son to deliver the world from sin.
What does this mean for you and me? It means no matter the challenge, you are not alone. Whatever your need — deliverance, strength, hope — Immanuel is present. He is not some far-off God. He is right there beside you this very moment.
My days grew brighter as I looked for God’s company amidst my pain. Eventually, I no longer trudged through ordinary days because my extraordinary God met me at my point of need. The secret is this. The more I learned to acknowledge His presence, the more of His presence I experienced. You can, too.
No matter where you are this Christmas Eve, you are not alone.
You may feel alone. It may appear that you are alone. But Christ is there with you. He sees you. He understands. And He can help you.
12 Days of Christmas at KarenEhman.com
This year can be different. You can celebrate Christmas morn with new joy because He — God Himself — has come to be with you. In His magnificent company, though you may be down and out, you are not without. You are not without His love or His all-sufficient strength. You are not without His safety. You are not without His care or provision. And you are not without His presence.
This is the best news of all. Immanuel, God is with us!

To win a copy of Ann Voskamp’s book, “The Greatest Gift, Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas,” Please leave a comment describing a time you felt God’s presence. Or describe a time you saw His provision.

All winners will be announced December 22nd!

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158 Comments

  1. Each morning as the sun rises and my weary body rises I receive strength from the Lord by the gift of His all-powerful Word to my heart! Thank you Jesus..xoxo

  2. Just over a year ago, my husband and I felt the Lord was leading us to move to another state. We picked up and moved with our four boys. God provided a house and job in HIS timing and provided everything we needed….even though we couldn’t see what was ahead. It was such a tremendous leap of faith for us and brought us closer to the Lord and each other.

  3. I saw God provide for us when my husband went overseas for 6 weeks. The Lord provide people to help in small ways and significant ways that helped carry me through that time, while carrying for young children.

  4. My husband has been a full time doctoral student since we got married almost 4 years ago. It has been a challenge for sure but God has provided for us each step of the way. He’s nearing graduation which will bring a new and exciting chapter for us!

  5. So many times, Micca! Several years ago, my second son had a rather tricky heart ablation performed. As I was praying in the hospital chapel, the Lord sent me a vision of His hands guiding the catheter to the spot it needed to be. I knew then, Zachary would be fine. Such peace. Such love! Love Ann’s books.

  6. I can clearly feel God’s presence this time of year when I spend time focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. Immanuel is with us.

  7. I felt God’s presence when my husband and I met with our Mentor couple before we were married. It was a fairly new church, the first time they mentored, and figured out before we me that he had been involved in an accident that claimed the life of my huaband’s dad when my husband was 6. After much prayer they felt led to still meet with us. Great healing happened. Our mentor couple was engaged when it happened. There are no coincidences!

  8. Remember the ‘Your in Good Hands with Allstate” commercial. So many times when I have felt overwhelmed and in those sleepless nights I imagine that God’s Hands are cupped around me. I can rest in that pocket of grace and peace. I take to heart the verse from Matthew “Consider the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Of how much more importance are you?”

    The past three years have been difficult – lost jobs, illness, family challenges yet their have been so many blessings — God is with us no matter what.

    Thank you for these posts!

  9. After my daughters diagnosis and telling friends and family of her condition, from that moment on til her birth and very shortly after her death, all we saw and felt was Gods presence and provision.

  10. Six years ago, I had a brain virus and was in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks. No one could make a diagnosis or tell me what was going on. I had severe tremors, couldn’t walk, had nastagmous in my eyes so I couldn’t see and I had 3 babies at home – 1, 3, and 5. I had never been away from them. I felt so alone, like God had abandoned me and forgotten I existed. As I laid in my hospital bed, I began to pray. To ask God where He was in all of this. Why was He letting this happen. I began to understand that I had been giving everything I had to everyone else and neglecting myself. I had gotten sick to help me get well. To find the strength to leave an abusive marriage and blossom into the mom, woman, daughter of Christ that I could be. I realized that I deserved more, I was meant to be more. God told me all of this – and I listened. I had to rehab for almost 6 months, but I didn’t die like I should have. God wasn’t ready. I finally understood! His presence surrounded me and brought me to a place where I can be happy!

  11. When we lost all peace about remaining with the ministry with which we had served for eight years and were nearing the end of our rope financially and relationally after my husband resigned, all doors seemed to be barred shut; then God clearly and perfectly cleared a path and provided more than we could have hoped.

  12. Two years I donated a kidney to our worship pastor. I knew that this was what God had asked me to do but my employer was not supportive. Instead of panic and worry about having a job to return to, I felt God’s presence meet me where I was and reassure me that He was with me. He provided as I knew He would.

  13. I was missing my family today. It was our family Christmas in AR and we live in FL. My husband is a pastor and we knew we couldn’t leave. But we have a mission church in a poor neighborhood and it was our day to go down the streets with gifts that were donated for our church kids. We also had stuffed animals donated, so gave them to kids we didn’t know. Seeing their faces light up and them hug tightly to their chest, let me feel God’s presence. Two of our boys got footballs and were already playing with them and thanking us as I was thanking God for His blessings.

  14. So many times it is hard to pinpoint just one. But it was always when things looked the darkest and when I was close to despair. One thinks that Jesus is not a physical person right here with us & that he was all together God-Son-Spirit & would not understand fully, but he did feel complete loneliness also when he was praying in the garden & being tortured when his closest friends were not there. Thank you Micca for your words.

  15. I’ve felt his presence strongly these days just alone in my car driving to work feeling so overwhelmed and discouraged. He is always there!

  16. I have prayed so diligently about my job and the Lord has answered my prayer by blessing me with a new job that I start next week. I am so thankful for this answer to prayer.

  17. Right before my mother in law died, I felt a chill and then the peace of God fell like nothing I had ever experienced before. It was if God had sent his angels to wrap us in a blanket of peace and comfort. Such a beautiful moment.

  18. The past 18 months has been especially hard for me. I left my job to help my mom care for my dad who has Alzheimer’s, but she became ill and passed away within 5 months this time last year. It’s a hard time for lots of people. I care for my father now, my mother’s estate, among other things. It has been lonely as I have had to put my life on hold. But when I look back over the past year, I realize many times when I didn’t know how I would get through things, I just gave it to God. He has carried me through. He IS always with us. Even when we think he’s diatant. Merry CHRISTmas!

  19. I think I feel God’s presence often, but one time when I really felt like he was right with us when my toddler son ran out into the road and a car missed him by inches. I swear I saw something blocking him as I ran to get him. I have never been so scared and then so thankful in my life.

  20. My son was born a month early on January 9th ’15. It was very sudden because my blood pressure has skyrocketed and he had to be born right then.
    At this time, my grandfather was nearing the end of his battle with cancer. I was so upset and absolutely terrified! I called my husband and asked him to come to the hospital because, when I’m scared, his presence soothes me.
    When I got to the room and they had put in my IV, I just felt this complete sense of peace and a calm like I’ve never known settle over me. I knew instantly it was God…right there in that room with me. I felt beyond blessed.
    My grandfather died 46 minutes before Mason was born and I believe with my whole heart that God was all over those events. He took my Poppa, but to keep my grandmother from the completely crushing heartache of losing her husband of 50 years, God gave us a child to bless that time in her life. Mason is known as ‘God’s gift to Nanny’ in our family.

  21. I have felt His presence is so many different ways! One that happened this week was that my daughter and I were going to Wednesday night supper at church and was not sure how to pay. Well, she had gotten a Secret Santa gift and found money in it. I asked her if we could use it to get supper and she said yes!

  22. There have been so many times, but His presence has been with me during the last couple of months when there have been several major changes in our lives and a whole lot of changes. So grateful to be standing on the Solid Rock when everything else feels like shifting sand.

  23. The day our adopted son was born. God answered prayers that we had been praying for so long. After times of depression and almost giving up…God sent our son to us!

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