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IMMANUEL—GOD WITH US
“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
I had to walk past two new stores to get to the grocery store now. Large signs announced: Liquor Store and Tobacco and Vape Store.
I was not happy.
Muttering something about side-by-side sin, I walked on.
Of course, I thought my anger was understandable and justified.
I was a Christian woman married to a pastor, after all.
So, each time, I would hurry past those offending stores.
The year hurried past too.
—
At Christmas, I made the usual dash past the stores when I saw it.
A small table had been put in the liquor store window and on it sat a glossy white creche.
The manger held the baby Jesus.
I was furious!
How did ANYONE DARE to put a creche in a liquor store?
Jesus didn’t belong in the middle of all that SIN!
It was just so WRONG!
—
And then God convicted my heart. —
God had sent Jesus RIGHT INTO the midst of the world’s SIN over 2,000 years ago.
There was no sin that Jesus hadn’t come to die for–and did.
—Even the sins of a self-righteous old woman who felt Jesus shouldn’t be in a liquor store!
I prayed for all the patrons of those stores.
I prayed for me, who sinned from the outside of that store,
by not sharing Jesus enough to let Him COME TO US ALL!
I knelt and confessed, and was forgiven.
I thanked Him, and praised Him, and worshipped Him with all of my heart.