Isaiah 7:14
King James Version (KJV)
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
New International Version (NIV)
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”
New American Bible (NASB)
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
The Living Bible (TLB)
“All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign—a child shall be born to a virgin! And she shall call him Immanuel (meaning, “God is with us”).”
God With Us
What an amazing promise that was fulfilled. All for us. Immanuel – God with us. When I think about what this actually means, it is hard to grasp. Jesus’ birth was the prophecy fulfilled of a Savior, who lived among us.
When I think of the birth of my own son and daughter, it is one of the greatest miracles I have ever witnessed. These kids, who are now grown, were once so fragile and seemingly helpless. And although Jesus was once a tiny baby, he was never helpless. God orchestrated safe passage for Mary and Joseph, and ensured the prophecy would be fulfilled. When the wise men came to see Jesus, they bowed and worshiped him, a baby boy. They bowed down, not because Jesus had earned some earthly status as king. But because he was King of Kings.
The most amazing part is that the story did not end at the end of Jesus’ life on this earth. That truth of GOD WITH US reigns forever. But he calls on us to seek him.
Deuteronomy 4:29 says “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” We seek him through prayer, through His Word, through people who are hurting. We seek God by removing the obstacles in our life and placing our focus on Him. Intentional. Meaningful. He is with us. But when we don’t feel as close to Him as we should – we should be seeking Him in all things.
