A short recount of the story is a man named George Bailey finds himself in financial trouble and contemplates suicide, thinking his family would be better off with the proceeds from his life insurance. In his desperation, he says he wished he was never born. So God sends an angel named Clarence to show George how different his family and friends' lives would have been had he not been there. George soon realizes that he was needed. He prays, "Please, God, let me live again."
In the movie, George lost sight of the fact that no matter how dire our circumstances may seen, God is always with us. At times, we have a tendency to put God on the sidelines until we're in a situation that makes us feel as though he's no longer there; then we cry out for his help.
As our pastor said yesterday, we often assume that if God is with us, then nothing bad, evil or painful will happen. In reality, in the midst of the evil and pain, God is most present. We often see and sense God the most when we are enduring painful times in our lives.
We read in Matthew 1:22-23: All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Jesus on the cross is the biggest and most vivid picture of God being with us. Believing in that gives us a wonderful life, even in the most painful moments.
Matthew 28:20
New Living Translation (NLT)
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Revelation 21:3
New Living Translation (NLT)
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them."
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