God With Us: Asking for the Sign of Emmanuel

Devotional

Day 1: Be bold: God invites honest asking

You do not annoy God when you ask; you honor him by trusting his generosity. He invites you to name your need instead of circling around it with timid religiosity. When you ask, you aren’t demanding; you are opening your empty hands to the One who already knows your heart. Bold prayer is not presumption; it is covenant confidence. Go ahead—ask, seek a sign of his nearness, and expect him to meet you with mercy [07:22]

Isaiah 7:10–14 — The Lord addressed Ahaz again, inviting him to ask for any sign—high as the sky or deep as the grave. Ahaz declined, saying he would not put God to the test. The prophet answered that the house of David had worn people thin—would they also wear out God? So the Lord himself promised a sign: a young woman would conceive and give birth to a son, and he would be called Immanuel, “God with us.”

Reflection: What is one specific request you’ve avoided bringing to God this month, and how could you name it plainly in prayer today?

Day 2: Emmanuel: God with us in everything

Jesus is not distant; he chose to dwell among us. He stepped into our ordinary, carrying our burdens and sharing our tears. In every room you enter today, he is already there, attentive and kind. You are not left to figure life out alone; Presence has moved into the neighborhood. Let his with-ness steady your breathing and brighten your steps [08:25]

Matthew 1:22–23 — All this unfolded to fulfill what God promised through the prophet: a young virgin will carry a child and give birth to a son, and his name will be Immanuel—which means God is present with us.

Reflection: Where, in a specific situation this week, do you need to remember that Jesus is with you, and what small act will you take to lean into his presence?

Day 3: Lay down self-reliance and pious timidity

It exhausts our souls to keep pretending we’ve got this. God is not weary of our needs; he is weary of our evasions. Clarity is an act of faith: say what you need, and stop managing appearances. The Father already counts each hair; he can handle your unedited truth. Drop the act, open your mouth, and ask for grace without excuses [03:42]

Matthew 6:7–8 — When you pray, don’t pile up empty talk like those who think many words force God’s hand. Your Father already knows what you need before a single request is spoken.

Reflection: In what conversation with God have you been vague or guarded, and what exact words would make that prayer honest?

Day 4: Judgment will come, yet salvation is given

Scripture is honest: there is a day when God sets all things right. That reality could make us tremble, yet Jesus stands between our frailty and that day with saving love. Learning the difference between good and evil is part of growing up in grace. Even when we stumble, the cross speaks a stronger word than our failures. In Christ, judgment is faced and salvation is offered to all who trust him [09:23]

John 3:17–18 — God sent his Son not to slam the world with a verdict, but to rescue it through him. The one who trusts him is not condemned; the one who refuses him remains under their own verdict.

Reflection: Where do thoughts of judgment stir anxiety in you, and how might you practice trusting Jesus’ saving love in that place today?

Day 5: We carry each other’s burdens as Emmanuel’s people

Because God is with us, we are given to one another. We get to be the tangible kindness of Jesus—praying when words run out, weeping with the wounded, rejoicing at redemption. Community is one of God’s clearest signs; his image shines through ordinary acts of care. Do not wait for perfect conditions to love—start with the person in front of you. Let someone lean on you today, and dare to lean on them too [10:48]

Galatians 6:2 — Share the weight of one another’s load; this is how you live out the law of Christ.

Reflection: Who in your circle is carrying a heavy load right now, and what simple, concrete support will you offer in the next 48 hours?

Sermon Summary

I began by naming a question many of us secretly carry: does God find me annoying? In Isaiah’s exchange with Ahaz, the prophet says something startling—that God is tired. But the weariness isn’t from people asking too much; it’s from evasiveness masquerading as piety. Ahaz refuses to ask for a sign, claiming he won’t “test” God. Yet God had invited the ask. That tension hits close: how often do we fog our desires in noble language because we’re afraid to be seen? We tell ourselves we’re being reverent when we’re really afraid, proud, or hiding.

God answers Ahaz anyway: a sign will be given—Emmanuel, God with us. The promise is extravagant and costly. It brings presence and discernment, a child who will know good from evil; and alongside it, a sober word of judgment. The gospel refuses to split what we would prefer to keep separate: mercy without accountability, comfort without truth. God comes near—near enough to see the choices we make and to bear them with us, but also near enough to correct and heal.

I used the simple frustration of Christmas gift-giving to make this concrete: guessing is exhausting; clarity is a gift. God is not wearied by our needs; God is wearied by our pretending not to have any. When we speak plainly—Lord, this is what I need; this is what I fear; this is what I’ve broken—we step into a relationship where real transformation can happen. “Ask,” Isaiah insists. Be bold.

And because God is with us, God is also with us through us. Jesus bears our burdens, and he often does so by placing us in a community that weeps with those who weep, prays when words won’t come, and loves when we are unlovable. On the darkest day of the year, that is where hope lives: the One who came is still coming, and his light breaks in again and again. Emmanuel is not a seasonal slogan; it is the steady truth under our failures, our fatigue, and our longing. So ask. Tell the truth. Receive the sign. And be the presence of God to one another.

Key Takeaways

1. God isn’t tired of your needs God’s weariness in Isaiah isn’t about people asking too much; it’s about people hiding behind pious language to avoid honest dependence. When we dodge the truth of what we need, we cut ourselves off from the intimacy God is offering. Real prayer sounds like confession and desire, not performance. God can carry your need; he’s asking you to stop pretending you don’t have one. [03:42]
2. Ask boldly; stop dancing around Ahaz was invited to ask extravagantly and refused. Our reluctance often comes from pride or fear of being disappointed, but God’s character is generous and relational. Bold asking is not arrogance; it’s faith that God is both listening and active. Risk clarity with God and watch how the relationship deepens. [07:22]
3. Emmanuel holds mercy and judgment together God-with-us is comfort and consequence in one person. Jesus’ nearness means our choices matter more, not less, because love dignifies us with real agency. Judgment isn’t God’s temper; it’s God’s truthful love refusing to leave evil unaddressed. In Christ, the one who judges is also the one who saves. [08:47]
4. Let honesty become your worship Guessing at each other’s needs exhausts relationships; so does making God guess. Naming reality—limits, desires, griefs, sins—creates space for grace to land where it can actually help. Honesty is not less holy than reverence; it is the path by which reverence becomes real. Tell the truth, then receive what only God can give. [06:56]
5. Be Emmanuel to one another God meets us not only directly but through people who carry our burdens with tenderness. To bear another’s pain is not extra credit; it’s how the presence of Jesus takes on flesh in ordinary life. If you feel unseen, the church is meant to become God’s with-ness to you. And if you feel strong today, become that with-ness for someone else. [10:48]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:42] - Does God find me annoying?
[01:23] - Peterson’s rendering of Isaiah 7
[01:35] - Ahaz refuses the sign
[01:56] - Emmanuel is promised
[02:15] - Promise includes judgment
[03:42] - Why God gets “tired”
[04:17] - God’s extravagance and invitation
[06:33] - The exhaustion of guessing needs
[06:56] - Clarity over pious evasion
[07:22] - Be bold: ask for a sign
[08:25] - God with us—and judgment
[10:48] - Jesus with us through one another
[11:41] - Advent hope on the darkest day

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Isaiah 7:10-17

Observation questions

In Isaiah 7:10-12, what does God invite Ahaz to do, and how does Ahaz answer? What reason does he give for refusing?
What is the sign promised in Isaiah 7:14-16, and what details are given about the child’s discernment and the timing?
In the Message wording quoted, what phrases describe Ahaz’s behavior and its effect on God? (“pious, timid hypocrisies… making God tired”) [01:35]
What everyday example was used to show how exhausting it is to guess someone’s needs, and what point was made with it? [06:33]

Interpretation questions

In Isaiah 7:10-12, why might refusing to ask for a sign be rooted in fear, pride, or a desire to stay in control? How does this relate to “dancing around” what is truly needed? [04:47]
Isaiah’s sign holds mercy and judgment together (vv. 14-17). What does it reveal about God’s love that comfort and consequence arrive in the same promise? How does that shape a person’s view of God’s nearness?
If God is not wearied by needs but by pretense, what kind of prayer does that imply God desires—performance, or plain confession and desire? [06:56]
How does “God with us” increase personal accountability rather than lessen it (vv. 15-17)? What does that say about human agency under God’s loving presence? [08:25]

Application questions

Where might there be a current need or desire being fogged in “holy-sounding” language? Try to name it plainly: “Lord, this is what I need; this is what I fear.” What keeps that from being said to God right now? [04:47]
What bold ask have you avoided because of fear of disappointment or a need to stay self-reliant? What would it look like to “ask for a sign” this week with humility and faith? [07:22]
Think of one relationship where guessing each other’s needs has been exhausting. What clear ask, confession, or expectation could you name this week to bring relief and honesty? [06:33]
God-with-us brings comfort and correction. Where is God’s nearness inviting a sober course correction in your choices? Name one concrete next step toward obedience. [08:47]
Who around you needs Emmanuel-with-ness right now—someone to weep with, pray for, or carry a burden with? What simple action will you take in the next 48 hours? [10:48]
If feeling unseen or unlovable, how could you invite the community into that space—asking for prayer, sharing a need, letting someone show up? What’s one specific ask you can make? [10:48]
On “the darkest day,” where do you long for light to break in? What practice—Scripture, silence, honest prayer, or a direct ask—will help you receive Christ’s coming again this week? [11:41]

Sermon Clips

Isaiah, I like Isaiah. He says it just like it is. He comes right out and just tells Ahaz what it is that he's thinking and what the message from God he has received is. God invites Ahaz to ask for what he needed. God invites him to ask for what he needed. And Ahaz was like, nope, I'm not asking God. I am not making demands on God. What? It seems like wouldn't God be the person we would ask things for? When we need something from God, he wants us to ask him for them. [00:02:58] (34 seconds) #AskGodForIt

But Ahaz says, I'm not testing God as though we have the ability to test God to start with. And Isaiah gets into it with him and tells him that he makes people tired. You exhaust people. You are pious. You have timid hypocrisies. And now you are making God tired. And guess what? God's going to give you a sign anyways. God is with you despite yourself. [00:03:31] (25 seconds) #GodWithYouAnyway

Ahaz seems to think that he has the power to make these demands of God, but is maybe being a little righteous in not doing so. No, no, I don't need to make demands on God. I can handle this. I'll take care of it myself. I'm not sure that's what he's trying to do, but he seems to forget that our God is an extravagant God. God is one who hears us, who responds to us, who hears our cries of delight and sorrow. [00:04:01] (32 seconds) #ExtravagantGod

God knows what we need before we know what we need. But you're making God tired, he tells Ahaz. God is not tired because we have demands or needs or hopes to be fulfilled. God's tired because we keep dancing around it, because we think that we are in charge, because we don't want to test God, perhaps for fear of being tested ourselves. God is tired because we keep playing games about what it is that we really need. [00:04:54] (33 seconds) #StopPlayingGamesWithGod

Like I said, I'm still struggling sometimes with good and evil. But what a way for God to keep an eye on us. What a way for God to be among us. God comes down to be here with us, to experience life in the way that we experience life. To know what it is like to be one with humanity. God is with us. [00:08:15] (24 seconds) #GodBecameOneOfUs

God is with us. But in the next breath, he tells us, and there'll be judgment that comes along with it. That's fun, right? I mean, we're all waiting for that. We know that it will come eventually. Maybe if we go back to when we were 12, and we start to understand the difference between good and evil, we can have less fear in the day of judgment and know that it is coming. But that because Jesus came for us, we will too be saved on that day of judgment. [00:08:36] (32 seconds) #JudgmentAndSalvation

But that was not the promise. That was not the promise. And even though God may find himself exhausted, he is still with us. He is among us. Today I find hope in that. I find hope in knowing that God is with me, especially in times when I might not be with God. Or times when I am too exhausted, and doing the easy thing instead of the right thing is the choice I make. I find hope in God with us, because nothing else in life is as certain as the one who comes down to us, the one who loves us so much that he takes on our burdens as his own. [00:10:10] (38 seconds) #HopeInGodWithUs

Isaiah delivered God's message that he would be with us, and Jesus brings that message to life in his coming yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And so as we close out this Advent season, let us find peace in the God who comes to us, who is with us always. And on this darkest day of the year, let's remember the promise of God with us and live in the light that comes in a new dawn each day. [00:11:41] (29 seconds) #AdventHope

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