Good heavens, it’s Christmas time again! I’m already beginning to reflect on 2023 and the blessings and lessons the Father has given me. This year, the biggest and best gift He has given me is one I will be unwrapping for eternity. It is the realization of our union.
Paul wrote that the biggest mystery of the ages and the entirety of the gospel could be summed up as “Christ in you (Colossians 1:26).” We read that, sing about it, and hear the words at church, then live as if we don’t believe it. Christ in us means the Trinity, which can never be separated, is living their lives fused to and inside us. No longer can we afford to believe the Father is looking at us from a distance with a disapproving heart. No! He is for us, and He is always with us. Up close and personal. All. The. Time.
For me, this realization is changing everything. For example, when my depression and anxiety relapsed, I didn’t have the extra difficulty of believing my prayers were “hitting the ceiling.” Impossible! Because I am beginning to understand union, I realize that’s just a feeling.
The truth is the Father is always good, and He is always with me. I am surrounded by the force of perfect love. Even in the most challenging times and the darkest nights. He is inside me, giving me strength, and outside me, preparing my way. That makes the waiting easier because I know I am not alone. The Father isn’t disappointed in me or holding out on me.
My friend Sharon Emery posted this to our Bible study group this morning, “God is in the waiting. God is not just found in your blessings, answered prayers, and miracles. God is also in the waiting. He’s in your moments of silence. He’s in the seeking, asking, and surrendering. He’s in the hard times. Even if you don’t see or feel it, the Lord is with you and will never forsake you. He will never change.”
The Apostle Paul said God will never forsake us in our weaknesses, but instead, His power and love are made perfect in our moments of greatest need. In his moment of need, Paul realized God’s grace was enough. That’s why Paul began rejoicing in his weaknesses because that was when he got out of the way and allowed God’s love and grace to empower him.
I used to fear I would wander away from Him, but as I come to understand union, I realize there is nowhere I can go to flee from His presence (Psalm 139). He is ALWAYS with me. I hear His voice and follow, just as all us sheep do (John 10), because we know Him. He is the voice inside us, reaching inside our darkest delusion that says we are alone and forsaken. He is slowly illuminating those places to show us we are loved and that He is there.
Paul said, “I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced His love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken His love. There is no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus (Romans 8:38-39, TPT).”
I say it like this: No matter what, always remember He is in you. He is for you. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can separate you from Him and his all-consuming passionate love for you. Trust that His grace, love, and power are bigger than all the muck, guck, and suck the world or your darkest delusions can throw at you! That’s why Jesus is called Emmanuel, God with us!
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