Day 18 – Emmanuel in the Pain
Scripture: Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel, which is, being interpreted, ‘God with us.’”
When pain closes in, it’s easy to wonder where God has gone. You ache silently. You feel the absence of the one you loved. You may also feel a deeper loneliness and ask, “Has God forsaken me?” It can feel like abandonment, but Scripture reminds us of a name that changes everything: Immanuel—God with us.
God with us. Not “God beyond us.” Not “God above us.” With us not just in joy. Not just in celebration. With us in pain, in death, in weeping. This is the miracle of the incarnation: not that God stayed above it all, but that He entered it fully.
If your sorrow makes you feel abandoned, remember this: Jesus didn’t run from suffering—He entered it so you would never have to face it alone.
In the raw, unedited grief, Immanuel is with you. He doesn’t wait until you feel better to show up. You may not feel Him, but He’s present—even in your darkest hour.
When the memories sting, when the tears come again, when the silence is heavy—Immanuel remains.
You do not walk through sorrow to find God. You discover He’s already there, waiting in it with you.
Practice for Today
Find a quiet space and sit in stillness for five minutes. Breathe deeply and repeat: “You are with me here.”
Journaling Prompt
In what moments has God felt absent during my grief? What would it mean to believe He is “with me” in those places?
Closing Blessing
Feel the closeness of Immanuel wrap around your ache.
Still your heart and find that the God whose only Son died for you
knows your grief.
Know that, even though God may be silent He is with you—Immanuel.
You are not abandoned.
The One who entered suffering walks every sorrow beside you.
Pray as You Go
Inhale: God is here…
Exhale: …with me in this pain.