When you think, “God with us,” do you also think, “God is for us?” A reflection on the one should lead to a reflection on the other.

Consider the announcement in Matt. 1:23 to Joseph that the child being carried by Mary was the fulfillment of Scripture spoken by the prophet "’The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).'”

The Scripture being referred to is found in Isaiah 7. Judah, the house of David, was under attack from the northern tribes of Israel and the nation of Syria. Instead of trusting God, Ahaz, the king of Judah, allied with the nation of Assyria against the attackers. Still, the word of God came through the prophet Isaiah telling Ahaz to trust in God and not fear.

The plan to conquer Judah would not be successful. When God encouraged Ahaz to ask for a sign to assure him of victory, Ahaz avoided God’s request. That did not deter God, and the announcement was made, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14).

God’s promise to be with the house of David was a promise to fight for the house of David. Some years later, Judah’s enemies were overthrown. However, because of the unbelief of Ahaz, the nation would also learn that their alliance with Assyria would not be as advantageous as thought. Assyria would herself turn against them.

Hundreds of years later, when the announcement was made to Joseph, the nation was still under foreign rule, and many in Israel were still looking for a political victory. But in the verse preceding Matt. 1:23 we are informed that the true victory would not be political, but spiritual – God would be with and for us to deliver us from our greatest enemy - sin.

How amazing is that? Because of sin, God would be perfectly just to be against us, but because of his great love, he shows himself to be for those who were against him, even sending Christ to die in our place (Romans 5:8).

Being for us, he gifts us his Spirit to be with us now after his resurrection and ascension. Being for us, he is patient and long-suffering with us. Being for us, he comforts us in our trials. And the list could go on. Later in Romans 8:32, the apostle Paul concludes that if God gave up his own Son for us, he will certainly and graciously give us all things.

We have abundant reason to praise and thank God for being with us and being for us, but our gratitude should not stop there. Just as God forgiving us is the ground for us forgiving others, so God being for us is the ground for us being for others.

When there is someone in need, how can we be for them? Do we give of ourselves for them? When persons press into our space, what is our disposition towards them? Are we for them? Do we exercise patience for them? Do we pray for them? "By this, we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 Jn. 3:16 (ESV).