God is With Us

Life is a journey. The thought of the magnitude of our actions, thoughts, decisions and aspirations is staggering. From the first breath to the last, the human person radiates the splendor of God’s plan for our lives. As we make our way through life, we weave a story so profound it cannot even be fully grasped by the one who is living it. Truly, the Author of life is wonderful to give us such a canvas on which to paint this work of art.

Through all of our joys, the Lord rejoices with us, for there can be no true joy without acknowledging the source of all joy, Jesus. The words which first announced the Incarnation show us this fact. Jesus’ entrance onto the stage of humanity was proclaimed as a message of profound joy: “Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.’” (Luke 2:10). After relating the message of the vine and the branches, in which He shows us our relationship to Him, Jesus tells us that His words should bring us joy: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11).

Of course life includes moments of incredible sorrow. It is also during these times when we need to recognize the comforting hand of God in our life. The Psalm of the Shepherd is a wonderful testament to this. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:4-6. We are not alone on our journey. Jesus Himself fell into the depths of sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, which we see in our Savior’s words: “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” (Mt. 26:38).

The path our lives follow takes us from the sorrow in the depths of our suffering to the exaltation in the heights of our triumphs and everywhere in between. Every moment of our lives brings new challenges and opportunities for grace. Through it all, the Good Shepherd is with us to guide and protect us. His love and mercy bring us hope in our trials and encouragement in our afflictions. Jesus was humble even unto His death, when we conquered sin and triumphed over evil. This serves as an example to us in our triumphs. Truly, through it all, God is with us. We can only hope to thank Him sufficiently for all the good He has done for us in our lives.

Praise and honor to Jesus, both now and forever!