We Are Not Alone
Posted by Annette Burrell, December 20, 2023
As I gaze at my wrapped gifts, I look up to see a tree that is not even half decorated. I started
and stopped decorating that poor little tree numerous times. I just don’t have it in me this year. The rest of my house is decorated, all thanks to my wonderful girlfriends.
I wanted to decorate the tree myself because it usually brings me great joy. But, it’s still sitting there, helpless. Only my cat is taking delight in it.
This year’s Christmas is different. My 90-year-old father’s health began declining rapidly in October, and he passed away on November 29. Everything stopped that day.
I’ve been told when you lose someone over the holidays, it changes things. And this phrase seems to be truer than I thought it would be. My friends have said I’m a driven individual and I always get things done. I suppose that’s true, and I suppose it will be true this year too. It’s the desire that has changed.
I don’t know about you, but for me, I need God more than ever. I have a hole in my heart that
no one can fill. There is an emptiness that can’t be replaced. So, I turn to Jesus. I desire to
lean into Him more than ever this year.
So, I sit in the quiet of my house and begin to ponder on the scriptures that tell us about the baby born on Christmas day.
Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Christ 700 years before it happened.
Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.”
Immanuel, God with us. If God is with us, we are never alone.
I opened a sympathy card today, and tucked inside was a note card. One side read: “Today’s Prayer”. The other side read: “If God is all you have, you have all you need.” John 14:8
Those words ministered to me at that moment. It coincided with the scripture of the prophecy of
the virgin birth of the Christ child, the son that would be called Immanuel (God with us).
Matthew 1:18-25 says, “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But, after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ”The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”)”. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not
consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”
Jesus, he will save his people from their sins. That’s the reason He came. That’s the reason
God sent Him. God provided the lamb for us to cover our sins. That same God came to my
father this year, and when Jack acknowledged him, He saved him from his sins.
My dad wasn’t alone as he slipped away from this world and he stepped into heaven. God was
with him, and God was all he needed.
I find myself in worship as I listen to the song "I've Witnessed It" from Passion City. Maybe you'll
find time to listen to it after this read. I was with my mother in 2011 during her last hours. She
described visions of Jesus and heaven. I believe it was a divine appointment for me to be there.
I was also with my dad when he encountered God. I've witnessed God's faithfulness. He gives
us hope in our hopelessness, and He shows up when we feel alone. How about you? Are you
feeling all alone this Christmas? Jesus: the one who came and was laid in a manger; the one
who was sinless and walked among the people preaching the gospel; the one who was ridiculed, beaten, bruised, and crucified on the cross. He is the provider of hope, and He is waiting for you to call on Him. You are not alone. God is all we need.
Annette Burrell is an author, speaker, and singer/songwriter. Through Annette’s years of being a public servant, and her devotion to studying the Bible, God has equipped her to lead women into His presence, and share with them how they can grow in Christ. Her passion is learning, sharing about the Heavenly realms, and God’s plan of protection for us as believers.