Title: God Emmanuel (Matthew 1:21-23)
Contents Immanuel God (Matthew 1:21-23)
When I was a missionary in Africa, I suffered a lot. In particular, the pain of watching her two children suffer from endemic diseases was extremely difficult to bear. At that time, I cried a lot and ran to God and prayed. In order to spread the gospel like this, they came to a distant place and struggled to do missionary work, but a prayer of resentment came out asking why they are giving such endemic diseases to immature children and giving them pain. But then, God spoke to me in a small voice. It was a small voice saying, 'I am with you in your pain'. When I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'I am suffering more than you,' all the pain seemed to disappear. It couldn't be that much of a consolation.
Now we are going through various difficult ordeal tunnels. Some are personally battling with the disease. Some are struggling financially. Some are in a very difficult situation at work and at home. There are people who suffer from problems with their children, conflicts between husband and wife, and a lot of pain and hurt in relationships with friends. However, we must remember that our God is with us even in the midst of such suffering, and through that suffering, He molds us into mature Christians who are more like Christ's image. When we realize this Immanuel's love, we will be able to overcome. Hallelujah!