One of our biggest limitations as humans seems to be that we aren’t omnipresent. We’re limited in our capacity (physical and emotional) and can’t be in all places at once. I remember feeling this poignantly as I couldn’t physically be with some of my family when they were going through a hard season of loss. I wanted to be there, but I was too far away and had other responsibilities I had to be present for. 

I think that we sometimes think of God in this way. He might want to be with us, but there are so many other important things in the world—should we really be asking for His time and presence? We forget that He not only can be with us, He wants to be near to us. So much so that He sent His Son to permanently make a way for His presence. 

One of the reasons today’s passage is so powerful is its timing; Jesus prayed this right before being going to the Garden of Gethsemane and being arrested. Instead of focusing on Himself, Christ prays for us and desires to be with us. We know that, through the Holy Spirit, God’s presence is living inside of us (2 Cor. 5:5, Rom. 8:9-10). 

God is with us. Immanuel has come and paid the price so that we can truly dwell with God. This is both humbling and encouraging. This humbles us because we know that we can never truly be what others need. People need Jesus; He alone can always be with them and sustain them. As much as my family would have loved to have me with them, they were okay because Christ was with them. When we feel upset at our inability to be physically present with all our loved ones, we can have peace knowing that Christ is present, through the Holy Spirit, with all our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is also encouraging; God is with us and fully knows us (Psalm 139)! We never have to feel like we’re alone and unseen; God always chooses to be with us. With this model, we can choose to be present with others whom God has placed around us, reflecting His love in our presence. And whatever God allows our way each day, we can be encouraged knowing that He isn’t just giving us something and then moving on, but He is actively present in each big moment and each in-between moment. He is with us, for us, knows us, and loves us more than we could ever know.