God with Us, Our Foundation in the Storm

He was a God FAR ABOVE us, who came to be WITH us, so that we can respond to His invitation to be God WITHIN us.

Not God “if you” – hit the mark
Not God “when you” – get it all figured out

He is God WITH you.
God WITHIN you.
GOD whose hand and favor and presence and power and purpose REST UPON you.

When Storms Come

Matt. 7:24-27
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Storms come. Sometimes expected, often unexpected. Many of us are in the middle of a storm right now and I’m not here to say it’ll get better, or the pain will go away, or everything will make sense soon…It may not. But one thing I can absolutely say, with all of my heart, is that Jesus is with you in the storm, He is near the broken-hearted. He will pull you up when you’re overwhelmed and sinking.

But, He isn’t just Immanuel in the storm…He is Immanuel as the FOUNDATION we build on to WITHSTAND the storm.

Building Our Foundation in Jesus

I am in a storm, and I’m thankful to say that today it feels like the worst is past, but that’s the thing with storms: They’re unruly and unpredictable. In my storm, my testimony isn’t pretty or perfect, and it’s still unfolding – but I’m thankful that it can point to the truth of this Matthew 7 PROMISE.

What we build on the FOUNDATION OF JESUS will stand.

We’re still standing. We took Him at His word, and built our life on Jesus, and the storm came…and He HELD TRUE.

What is the Foundation of Your Life?

As we experience this week of Christmas and celebrate the WITH of Immanuel, spend some time reflecting with us on this question: What is the FOUNDATION OF YOUR LIFE?  What are you building with Jesus? Are His words, teaching and life your rock? Are you settling at believing in Jesus, rather than moving into the maturity and depth of believing Jesus?

God above us, became God with us, so He could be God within us. Christmas provides a great viewpoint to look back over our lives this year and see if we are building our life on this truth.