Emmanuel: God With Us

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Have you ever sat down and reflected on who God is? I mean, really considered who the Lord is and all He has done for us and the world around us? I personally fall extremely short of doing enough of this sort of deep reflection. The more I draw closer to Christ and center my life around Him, the more I realize I have barely scratched the surface of the awesomeness of God.

Intellectually, I have understood most of my life that the Lord is amazing. In the Bible, God is called many things, and I could easily rattle off a whole list of those names and attributes. But to truly understand even one of the names of God? I mean, seriously and thoroughly understand a single one? I could spend an entire lifetime studying and trying to comprehend and still miserably fail.

Don’t get me wrong. I get choked up every time I try to talk about what the Lord has done in my life. Honestly, I stink at offering public praise because I can’t even speak when I start to consider all the ways my Heavenly Father has blessed my life. God is my everything and has often been my only friend and source of strength during life’s darkest times. I wouldn’t have survived this long without clinging desperately to Jesus or being strengthened daily by the Holy Spirit.

But truly understand and appreciate who God is and how He loves me and has cared for me? My finite brain could never handle it all. Ultimately, my brain is pretty regularly blown as I seek the Lord and strive to know Him more.

I do have to admit, though, that one of my ultimate favorite names of God is Emmanuel: God with us. How awesome is that? Take a second and really consider what this name means. We often have this image of God where He is far above us, ruling from a distant throne. In all actuality, though, He is right here with His people every second of every day. Loving them. Guiding them. Protecting them. Providing for them. Working diligently behind the scenes for their betterment.

God might be the Most High and ruler over the entire universe, but He isn’t a distant Father. He’s never too busy. Our concerns are never too insignificant. In fact, He is always actively involved in every single aspect of our lives. He goes through our every triumph, every trial, and everything in between–right beside us! Our Lord promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. How insanely comforting is that?

I remember the first time I started to understand this aspect of God. It completely changed how I saw my life and my everyday struggles. Looking back, I can now see clearly that even during my darkest hours, I was never truly alone. Even when my friends and family had abandoned me, my Heavenly Father never did. When I cried, He cried. When I was in pain, He held me close and understood exactly what I was enduring. When my heart was breaking, His heart was, as well. When my world felt like it was collapsing in on me, He was right there, holding me together and whispering words of encouragement to my disheartened spirit.

Knowing how close the Lord stayed close to me over all of these years is a huge comfort. Today’s and tomorrow’s trials and tribulations no longer seem impossible or horrifying. My God was with me before, so He will assuredly remain with me, no matter what the present or future holds. There is no need to fear or worry or doubt. Emmanuel will walk the rest of life’s journey with me…no matter what is waiting for me around the next bend.

• When have you felt the most alone?
• Looking back, can you now see God’s hand in any of those difficult situations?
• How does knowing that the Lord is “God with us” change your perspective in life?

© 2021 Amanda R. Dollak

Be Still and Know

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Psalm 46 has always been one of my ultimate favorite passages in the Bible. It is overflowing with many amazing promises and reassurances to help us through life’s darkest days. In fact, one of my go-to verses for when I’m feeling particularly anxious, overwhelmed, or afraid is Psalm 46:10, which exhorts: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

I currently have an image of the first half of this verse as my lock screen for my phone. I pick up my phone and look at the screen countless times a day. It feels so soothing and empowering to be reminded many times daily to “be still and know that I am God”! In this crazy, fast-paced world, I’ve struggled to find moments each day to even slow down, let alone be still. Consequently, it doesn’t hurt to have a frequent reminder to just stop, breathe, and focus on God and His promises every now and then throughout my day.

Something dawned on me this morning that never stood out about this verse before: the word ‘know’ right there hiding in the middle of the beginning of Psalm 46:10. Over the years, I’ve thought long and hard about the “be still” part, as well as the whole idea that God is God (and as such, what that means to believers based off of the Lord’s many amazing attributes). Somehow, though, I have always simply read quickly over the word ‘know’ and never thought much about it.

Today, though, it struck me as quite significant after all. I find it interesting that the Lord chose the word ‘know’ here: we are to know God is God. We aren’t to believe that God is God. We aren’t supposed to conjure up enough faith that God is God. He doesn’t ask us to speculate or even reason that God is God. It says “Be still and know that I am God.”

When we know something, there is no doubt. There is no confusion. There is no worry of misunderstanding or false conjecture. There is just fact and a firm resting in that fact. When we know something, we possess a solid and unwavering assurance in what we know.

Life and this world can be immensely chaotic and confusing. It’s incredibly easy to become disoriented, overwhelmed, or blindsided by everyday life> It becomes a thousand times more challenging with the most difficult trials we sometimes must face. Frankly, life often doesn’t make any sense. And as such, we too often are left adrift wondering why.

It’s in those moments that we need a solid anchor to hold us steadfast in the middle of the raging tempest. We require an unmoving object to reorient ourselves, or we run the risk of sailing away from the safety of shore and farther into the potentially deadly storm. God is our solid anchor and unmoving source of hope. That is, He is if we learn to stop in the middle of the deafening roar of this world’s troubles and take unwavering refuge in God and who He is.

The world might never make much sense. It might even feel like the very world itself is falling in on us. But we have a solid foundation upon which to rest. We have the rock-solid reassurance that God is God. We can take refuge in the knowledge that the Lord is in control. He has a plan. Absolutely nothing surprises Him. And even if our world does fall apart, God possesses the mighty power to put it all back together again or better yet, to create something far more beautiful or glorious from the rubble. How amazing that such a tiny word like ‘know’ can hold such power and comfort in our lives! God’s Word is truly awesome and never fails to offer new nuggets of truth amongst even the most familiar of passages.

© 2021 Amanda R. Dollak

Treasure Life’s Quiet Moments

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I love my quiet times. Whether they are late at night or early in the morning or some time in between, I cherish each and every one of them. I’m not a loner. Actually, I’m mostly a people person. I enjoy good company and good conversation. I also like to keep busy, and most activities are so much more enjoyable with a companion or two.

Still, I need quiet moments. They help me to relax and refocus. They allow me to think and reflect. They offer a prime time to get re-centered mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And they pretty much keep me sane when life gets hectic and chaotic.

It is during these little pauses in my life when I feel most in tune with God, myself, and the world around me. Life can be so noisy and deafening. Yes, it often is joyously loud, but it still can make it difficult to think and to really listen to the subtle things. The daily hum and energy of life makes it so easy to lose touch and feel a bit out of sync.

That is why sometimes I simply like to sit back and enjoy the moment: to savor each breath and each heartbeat . . . to absorb the tiniest of sounds around me . . . and to enjoy the feeling of merely being a part of this world. Suddenly, I am reminded again of how amazing it feels to simply be alive! The news might be all bad. The bills may be overdue. The kitchen sink might be leaking. A loved one may be sick. I might feel underappreciated or overlooked. The hamper might be overflowing out of the bathroom door. The kids may be bickering over who’s turn it is to use the yellow cup.

Nevertheless, life itself is a glorious and breathtaking miracle. Each day is a gift from God and a reminder of his goodness and love. I may be a mess, but I am God’s beautiful mess, and he loves me exactly as I am. He understands all that I’m going through. He shares in my joys and my sorrows. The Lord is always there for me and has a plan that will use all of this chaos for good. I might not see it or understand it now, but I have faith that my Heavenly Father is in control.

It’s during these quiet moments that I’m sure of this the most. I can feel his strong presence and hear his comforting whispers when I stop and simply look to him in my stillness. As I mature, I yearn for solitude more and more. I long to stay connected to my Savior, no matter how busy my schedule becomes. Consequently, I aim to make quiet time a priority throughout my day.

However, I’ve found my morning solitude the most important. Before the hustle and bustle of my daily routine begins, I try to spend at least the first 30 minutes of my day reading my Bible and praying. It helps to start the day off on the right foot. I’ve found that if I make God my first focus, my day goes much smoother. Spending time with the Lord first brings such comfort, joy, and healthy perspective to my life. Ultimately, it’s hard to have a bad day when I know that my Heavenly Father has this all figured out and factored into his plan. It’s much easier to face grueling battles when I can see that God has already won the war. What a huge relief it is to be reminded, in the stillness, that the Lord’s got this, and I’m never truly alone.

 

© 2020 Amanda R. Dollak

The Bible: My Favorite Book

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As long as I can remember, books have had a special place in my life. I quite literally spent over half of my childhood sick. There was also a lengthy period of my adulthood when my fibromyalgia and chronic migraines kept me mostly confined to bed. Books served as an escape. They were portals to anywhere and everywhere I longed to be. They also offered a sort of companionship, keeping me company as the world rushed on by, oblivious to my hardships and struggles. Books helped to keep my hopes and dreams alive when my life seemed to be at a stand still. They filled the monotonous moments while fueling my imagination and keeping me sane.

The book which influenced–and still influences–me the most is the Holy Bible. Aside from the fact that God Himself is the Author, it is a masterpiece. It has pretty much everything: adventure, unexpected plot twists, underdog heroes, detestable villains, murder, redemption, romance, triumph, failure, joy, sorrow, and most things in between. The Bible also seems to always hold at least a gem or two to help me through whatever life throws my way. You can’t beat the perfect pairing of great storytelling and priceless wisdom and guidance through both the highs and lows of life.

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve read the Bible from cover to cover. I’ve also lost count of how many copies I own. In fact, I recently found copies I had long forgotten in our move almost 8 years ago. (It’s amazing what you can find when the spring cleaning bug bites you, and you dare to venture into the dark recesses of your basement!) Despite all of this, I sincerely can’t get enough of spending time in the Scriptures. I still approach my daily Bible reading and study with eagerness and even excitement.

It’s amazing how many times I can read the same ol’ Bible passages time and time again. Yet, just when I need it the most, the Holy Spirit pricks my heart with a new angle or a new application to my life that I had never considered before. And with each new minute I spend reading the Lord’s Words, I grow to love and know Him more. Now that’s what I call depth and richness!

Of course, I could never hope to pen a literary creation even a micro-fraction as valuable as the Bible itself. (Hello, we’re talking about a product of the Creator of the universe here!) Still, after looking back on how much comfort, help, and joy God has given me through His Word, I can’t help but want to touch other people’s lives in my own little way. If my writings (and one day, books) could help comfort someone through a long illness or remind an individual that they aren’t truly alone during a difficult day or even make a person smile when they have every other reason to cry, then my efforts as a writer will be well worth it. All the late nights, stressful deadlines, dreaded bouts of writer’s block, and moments of self-doubt won’t be in vain. I would have lived my purpose and passed on the blessing of the special connection that only exists between author and reader.

What is your favorite book? When did your love of reading first start? Please share in the comments!

© 2020 Amanda R. Dollak