Aside from being a name of God, Immanuel is his very nature.
He is God with us. There’s a wealth of information in Scripture
indicating his caring involvement in our entire lives.

Read and Meditate on Psalm 139

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You
know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand
my thought afar off . You comprehend my path and my lying
down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there
is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You
know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before,
and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I fl ee
from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are
there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If
I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost
parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me,
and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the
darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light
about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light
are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in
my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and
that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden
from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully
wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw
my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book
they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as
yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them! If I should count them,
they would be more in number than the sand; when I
awake, I am still with You.

Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart
from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. For they speak
against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in
vain. Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And
do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them
with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me,
O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties;
and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:1–24)

Food for Thought
A. What does God alone know about you?
B. What do you know about God’s thoughts
toward you?

Compare Psalm 139 with Jeremiah 1:4-5

Food for thought
A. What effect did these words have on Jeremiah?
B. Would you like God to speak to you of His plans
for you?

Bible Word Studies Relating to Immanuel

Treat yourself to some wonderful Bible word studies. (See next
section below.) Research some words like abide, near, with you,
dwell, tabernacle, presence, leave nor forsake. Here are some of
my favorites:

near
You are near, O LORD, and all Your commandments are
truth. (Psalms 119:151)
But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my
trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Your works.
(Psalms 73:28)
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD. (Jeremiah
23:23a)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James
4:8a)
Also see Psalms 69:18, Isaiah 55:6.

abide
And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears,
we may have confidence and not be ashamed before
Him at His coming. (1 John 2:28)
But He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine,
you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him,
bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If
anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch
and is withered; and they gather them and throw them
into the fire, and they are burned.’ (John 15:4–6)

dwell
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall
abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the
LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in
Him I will trust.” (Psalms 91:1–2)

tabernacle (Hebrew word for dwell)
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with
them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be
with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)

with you
And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He
will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you;
do not fear nor be dismayed. (Deuteronomy 31:8)
“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Amen. (Matthew 28:20)
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be
with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
(Psalms 91:15)
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will
uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isaiah 41:10)
The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with
you. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:22)
Also see: Isaiah 43:5; Jeremiah 1:8, 19, 15:20, 20:11;
Matthew 18:20; Luke 1:28, 15:31

presence
You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a
pavilion from the strife of tongues. (Psalms 31:20)
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will
give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)

presence (continued)
Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence
continually! (1 Chronicles 16:11)
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness
of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalms 16:11)
Also see: Genesis 3:8, Psalms 105:4, Acts 2:28, Psalms
21:6, Psalms 140:13

leave nor forsake
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid
of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who
goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
(Deuteronomy 31:6)
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content
with such things as you have. For He Himself has said,
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5)

For Deeper Word Study . . .
A Look up each of these words in an English dictionary.
Then look them up in Greek or Hebrew concordance
and other resources (you can go on-line, too).
B. Look up additional Bible references using these
words. List them.
C. Consider: How are they used? What does this mean?
Does their significance change for you?
Remind Yourself of His Presence
Continue to remember the reality of God’s presence, think of
him often, remind yourself that he is near during the day until
you begin to become aware of him all the time.