Ever since the dawning of Creation, our loving God has sought to "be with" his creatures, namely, human beings who are made in his image. There is something beneficent about our Creator that makes Him bent on being close to us. He refuses to leave us alone, but is constantly involved in our lives for our good. In the garden of Eden, for example, we read, "the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day," Genesis 3:8. Just imagine, God and man in perfect communion and fellowship.

We read in the account of the tower of Babel, how God is concerned and says, "But the Lord came down to see the city," Genesis 11:5. Later, when God calls Moses to assist Him in setting the Israelites free he speaks to Moses and says, "I have seen the misery of my people...so I have come down to rescue them," Exodus 3:7-8. When Moses was fearful of leading God's people, he refused to go unless God went with him. The Lord promised, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest," Exodus 33:14. Furthermore, we find that Moses set up a "tent of meeting" where he would go to receive instructions from God, and the "pillar of cloud would come down," Exodus 33:7.

What is most significant, however, in the overall plan of God for the salvation of his creatures, is prophesied in Isaiah 7:14. It is there that the prophet Isaiah goes out to king Ahaz, who is scared to death during the Syro-Ephraimitic War. He didn't know where to turn for help. God sends the prophet to let him know that in a brief period of time he would be helped if he would just have faith in his God! The sign given would be a son born to a young maiden (or virgin) and "before he can eat solid food", help would come.

In the same way, we find Joseph, who is engaged to a young virgin named Mary, concerned about what to do. He is fearful. The angel tells him, "do not be afraid!" He, too, needs to be faithful and trust God. It is then that he says that the child is to be called, Immanuel, which Luke interprets for us as, "God is with us!"-Matthew 1:23.

So, finally, we see what all of that "being with" His creatures was all about. In Jesus, God "comes down" to help and to save us! Thank God that he didn't leave us alone! Amen?!