Please read devotional #49 Taken from Isaiah 7:14. Miracles were afoot in the birth of the Son of God as prophesied in the Old Testament in bringing about the delivery of the Messiah into the realm of a very needy world. The Son of God would put on the skin of a man and endure 9 months in the cavity of a young woman. While surprises occur daily, even the scholars of the Old Testament didn't quite expect the way God entered our world. There were those who were anticipating the coming Messiah, like Anna and Simeon in Luke 2:21-38 who were seemingly waiting for the arrival of the Savior at the Temple of the Lord and confirmed the Messiah as the Redemption of Israel and the Gentiles. But few recognized the long awaited Messiah. The Holy Spirit enabled Simeon and Anna to perceive the work of God, much like Peter when he declared Jesus as the Messiah. There is such hope for mankind as we have our spiritual eyes opened by faith in the sent one of God. Immanuel, God with us, is our need in a world prone to sin and despair. Enjoy the nearness of Immanuel in this season of hope, not only at Christmas, but all the year through.