Devotion - God with us

"..That I may dwell among them.." - Exodus 29:46

This statement shows the deepest desire of God. Though we see the Holiness of God(which makes approaching Him difficult) and the sinfulness of man in the Bible(which makes approaching Him unthinkable), we can also constantly see this God reaching out and longing for communion with man - not out of His neediness, but on knowing well that we are lost without Him. His heart breaks to see us lonely, sinful, and lost - even today. He doesn't just provide some temporary means of relief to cure our deepest needs. He offered Himself, His own very presence through His Son Jesus, who is our Emmanuel - God with us.(Isaiah 7:14) Yes, He is the God who made the costly choice to be the closest friend to sinners like us.

If you're someone trying to reach out to God with your own actions, my friend, you can stop trying and not waste your time further. A Holy God like Him cannot be approached with our good deeds. No matter what we do, our deeds can never be good enough. But He, being so rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4-8), took the form of a man to approach us, to restore a lost relationship. His love for us took Him to the cross, so that the debts of our sins could be paid for.

There is none on this planet who can't be forgiven and cleansed by His blood. No sins - that can't be covered by His sacrifice. On the cross, He truly took our place, and He desires to dwell among us today.