Jesus Delights to Be with You

Dannah Gresh: Dámaris Carbaugh reminds you that Jesus delights to be with you.

Dámaris Carbaugh: Do you not know that He wants you? He wants you! Do you believe that? Can you believe that? He wants us! He wants you to come to Him with everything.

Dannah: This is the Revive Our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, author of Choosing Gratitude, for October 16, 2026. I’m Dannah Gresh.

Today we’re talking about what might be the most comforting name of Jesus ever spoken—Immanuel, which means "God with us." And I know, we usually talk about this name at Christmastime, but it’s true all year round. Isn’t it incredible that the God of the universe would come to earth in the form of a baby to be near to us? Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth is going to help us marvel.

Immanuel: God with Us

Nancy: John 1 says it this way:

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh [thank God!] and dwelt among us. (John 1:1, 14)

And so we have a God who is not some far away, distant deity, but a God who is with us where we are—a God who came to share the experiences of our lives and our humanity.

This promise, “I am with you” that God gives to us, “I will be with you” is a promise found all the way throughout God’s Word. In fact, in recent months as I’ve been reading through the Bible again, I’ve been making a note and keeping list of wherever this promise appears, “I am with you. I will be with you.” What’s neat to see is that whatever the need of the moment was, this was God’s answer—“I am with you.”

That is our greatest need. In every circumstance, every situation in life to know that God is with us. And here’s the good news of the gospel that Jesus is Immanuel—“God with us.” As God was with His people in the Old Testament—Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Moses and Joshua and Gideon and Jeremiah—so God is with those who know and trust Jesus.

So what difference does that make in your life and mine here today—in your life circumstances—in mine? Well, if we know Jesus as Immanuel, that makes all the difference in the world. If you have Jesus, Immanuel, God is with you. That means that if you live in a cramped apartment the presence of Immanuel transforms that tiny space into a palace because Jesus is with you—God is with you.

God’s Presence Changes Everything

Immanuel, God with us, transforms ordinary moments and mundane tasks into opportunities for God’s glory to be displayed. Some of you are thinking, I wish I could have the kind of ministry she does. I wish I could really be used for God. Listen, are you taking care of three kids at home? If God is with you, if Jesus is your Immanuel, then what you are doing in the work place, in the home, in the church, in your relationships, then that is an opportunity for God’s glory to be displayed.

In every situation, in every season of life, in every circumstance, in every conversation that you have, in every gathering of believers, God is with us. And that affects everything! In that profane work environment where you’re the only believer, God is with you. When you’re checking Facebook, when you’re browsing the internet, God is with you, in Immanuel. When your bills are greater than your income, God is with you. When you’re up in the middle of the night nursing a newborn or caring for a sick child, Immanuel, God is with you. 

When you stand at the graveside of that loved one, if you know Immanuel, God is with you. When your heart is breaking and sad, God is with you. His presence can give you joy in the midst of that valley—that difficult journey. When you don't know which direction to go or what to do, if you know Jesus as Immanuel, God is with you. And that means that you have a guide for your journey.

Jesus Gives Courage for the Journey

I listened not long ago to Pastor David Platt speaking at Moody Founders’ week. I was listening on the internet, and I love this line. 

David Platt: Followers of Jesus don’t always know where they’re going, but they always know who they’re with.”

Nancy: Amen. If you have Jesus in you, then you have God in you and with you. (applause) Yes, you can applaud for that. If you know Immanuel, if you know Jesus and God is with you, then you can be free from fear. You can have courage to step out in faith, to obey God, to fulfill His calling and His mission for your life. It’s Immanuel, God with us, that enables us to do whatever He has called us to do, because God is with us.

He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). And that means if you have Immanuel, if you know Jesus as your Immanuel now, that means for all of eternity God will be with you, and you will be with Him.

Dannah: That’s Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth with the best news in the entire world. We do have Jesus as our Immanuel—our God with us. He delights to be with us. Isn’t that incredible?! You can listen to Nancy’s full message at a link in today’s transcript at ReviveOurHearts.com. It’s part of a series called "The Wonder of His Name."

Now, let me ask you a question. Immanuel delights to be with you, but do you love being with Him? Do you set aside time for Him?

We enjoy Jesus by cultivating a personal devotional life, and my friend Dámaris Carbaugh is going to encourage us in this area. This is a life message for Dámaris. She is a woman of the Word

She is also a singer living in Brooklyn, New York with her husband Rod. This is part of a message she shared at a Revive Conference. 

Do You Love Being With Jesus?

Dámaris: The story of Mary and Martha . . . we love that story, don’t we? I’m so grateful for the way that Jesus told Martha that the stress of trying to do everything right (have you been there?) was keeping her from choosing what Mary chose.

Jesus clearly called what Mary did “good.” And what exactly was Mary doing? Nothing! . . . as far as Martha was concerned! Isn’t that the truth? But Jesus said that what Mary had chosen would not be taken away from her. When you decide to seek Him, He will not let anything or anyone take that away from you! Isn’t that sweet?

But the million-dollar question is, "Do you want what Mary chose?" Let’s take a closer look at what Mary did. She didn’t take out her journal and Bible because, well, there were the Scriptures. Whenever you hear the word “Scriptures” in the New Testament, it refers to the Old Testament, because the New Testament hadn’t been written yet.

Listen to what she wanted: she wanted to listen to everything Jesus had to say. She wanted to hear what He had done. She wanted to know what was on His heart and mind. She wanted Jesus! 

Now, let me ask you something. Do you think she didn’t care if He ate? Do you think she didn’t care if He was tired and needed refreshment? Do you think Jesus would have rewarded laziness on Mary’s part? Do you think Mary was actually sitting there looking spiritual, but inside was going, “I don’t want to do anything!” 

Nobody’s wiser than Jesus. Jesus knew her heart. She wasn’t trying to get out of work. She was lost in who Jesus was! Do you get lost thinking about Him? Jesus longs for those whose hearts are completely captivated.

Psalm 27:4:

One thing have I asked of the LORD,
   that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
   all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
   and to inquire in his temple.

And then these verses came to mind. Luke 11: “So I tell you, keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for” (v. 9, paraphrased). Even if what you need to ask this afternoon is, “You know what, Lord? I may not admit this to anybody else, but You know if I’m seeking You. I don’t even want to seek You. I might say I do, but I don’t want to. But God, I’m asking you—it says ask—to get a hold of my heart and give me a heart that seeks You!” 

Keep on seeking and you will find, keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives, everyone who seeks finds and everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

You fathers, if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (Luke 11:9–13, paraphrased)

Seek Him With Your Whole Heart

Do you know that one of the first times I read that, I remember thinking, This verse says seek, knock, and ask, but I forget that the last thing it says is, "How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." When was the last time you said, “Holy Spirit, I need You?”

We’re usually asking for this and that—all good things. We want wayward children to come back to the Lord, don’t you? But not often am I just saying, “Holy Spirit, just give me everything I need to walk. (What’s walking? Living!) I want to live in a way that pleases You.”

What does your devotion to Jesus look like? It says “a personal devotional life.” That devotion—completely “devoted” to Jesus. Do you feel defeated in this area of personal devotion to Him? 

• Is reading the Bible a chore to you? 
• Is prayer something you tend to put off unless there’s a crisis? 
• Is being in His presence a joy? 
• Do you yearn for His presence?

Jesus knows the answer to every one of these questions. He knows those of you who don’t really want Him that much. The good news is, He still invites you to seek Him. Even if you don’t want to, you need to. You know that, so seek Him! I promise you (like we kept repeating) you will find Him.

The Word of God Leads Us to Jesus

In John 5:39–40 (and pay attention to this verse!), Jesus told the Pharisees. 

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 

I believe sometimes we commit the same error. We go to the Scriptures like, “Okay, I read. Check. I answered that question. Check.” Meanwhile, the purpose of the Scriptures is to take us to Jesus. That’s what Jesus said. “They point to Me, and you won’t come to Me.” How many times have we come to the Scriptures but have not come to Him? The Bible was written to reveal to us who God is.

May we heed the advice Jesus gave the Pharisees, and may we come to Him. God also said something very interesting. I was talking to Dannah. We were talking about the talk, and so I was saying, “Dannah, you know something that has hit me is 1 Corinthians 8:3." It says this, 

But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. 

It’s like God is saying, “I know that person.” Now, when I read that I thought, Well, God knows everybody. But I feel like this verse is saying those that really, really, really love Him, it’s like He says, “Oh, I know her!” I feel even when I read that, that He wants you to make yourself known to Him.

Remember when your child was little and they were telling you a story in the cutest way? And you knew all about it. Like, you knew exactly what they were talking about. But it was so cute the way they spoke to you and the way they talked to you and the way they said it that you just get joy in listening to them tell you whatever it is they’re telling you.

Are you with me? Do you know what I mean? But that child is, in a way, showing you how they are, the way they speak, the way they breathe, the way they say it. My son couldn’t say his “th’s.” I would, on purpose, want him to say words so that I could hear his “Jonafan.” There was a waitress in a diner that we go to whose name was Kathy. And he would go, “Hi, Kafy!” (laughter)

And she would go, “Ooh, say it again!” And he was like two or something. He didn’t understand. “Kafy.” I’m not really being silly, but I just feel like even when you say, “Oh, Lord, I love You. I need you. I’m pitiful. I’m telling You the truth!” I feel like the Lord goes, “Come here, honey, come here. Talk to me some more.”

Do you not know that He wants you? He wants you! Do you believe that? Can you believe that? He wants us! He wants you to come to Him with everything. First of all, He knows it, so why are you hiding? It’s like, I don’t know, sometimes we just get phony, even with God who knows it all!

The Word of God is so important because the Holy Spirit uses it to illumine your mind. 

But I think of people that loved God and walked with God. Don’t you read biographies of people that had an amazing walk with God and become jealous in a good way? You know who makes me jealous? Enoch. What is up with Enoch? “Oh, he journaled!” There wasn’t even a Bible! (laughter)

But we’ve been talking about the importance of the Bible. When I was telling this to my husband, I was saying, “The Bible is the only thing that will start showing you how far you are and how near you need to be. The Bible is the only way that you’ll understand how your mind is off, how your mind needs to be renewed. The Bible is what tells us that there is a Holy Spirit, that there’s a Father. The Bible tells us all these things.” 

And then I’m telling my husband, “And Enoch didn’t even have a Bible!” 

And so my husband says, “Well, what are you trying to say?” 

And I’m like, “What am I trying to say?”

You see, of all the speakers, I’m the one abnormally born! (laughter) But let me tell you what I mean: it’s the Bible that tells us about Enoch. Enoch walked in such close fellowship that God took him! God took him. [deep sigh] Oh, my goodness, what did he do? I have no idea! I’m serious. There was no synagogue. What did he do?

Well, the Bible tells us in the New Testament that he actually prophesied about the judgment that was coming (see Jude 1:14). So there was a little fire in him, too. “He’s coming to judge!” Oh, my word. But there must have been something about him. There must have been something about this man that loved God in such a way that God said, “Come on!”

It’s the Word of God that has given me a desire to know: what in the world was Enoch like? It’s the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12. Here’s the verse (some of you know this well): “For the word of God is alive and powerful.” Before I even finish, your personal devotional life totally depends on you being able to spend time with His Word—a lot! I want to say every day. But I will tell you, there are some Sundays that I get up early and get ready for church, there's choir rehearsal, church happens. We read the Scriptures on the PowerPoint, and we open up our Bibles in the service. But there are times when Sunday is actually a day I may not read the way I normally read. 

Let God’s Word Transform Your Heart

But what you need more than anything else, if you want to have victory in your life, if you want to know Jesus Christ really well, if you want to please Him . . . you will never be able to do that unless you become a person that loves the Word of God! Because look what the Word of God does:

It is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. [Now listen carefully here.] It exposes [don’t miss this!] our innermost thoughts and desires. (Heb. 4:12)

Don’t miss that! It exposes your thoughts and desires. Sometimes the greatest revelation you need is to understand the condition of your heart! Can you say “amen”? Your thoughts, your desires—He knows them! And when you’re ready to let Christ, the Spirit of truth, expose your truth, you come to Him, holding nothing back. He will receive you, and He will give you all that you need to be completely devoted to Him!

Dannah: That’s Dámaris Carbaugh encouraging you in your personal devotional life. The name Immanuel is one you can nestle your heart in and find comfort. I hope you’ll do that, my friend, as you spend time with Him in the Word.

That’s what Nancy has been seeking to help all of us do over the last twenty-five years of Revive Our Hearts. An unexpected listener called in recently to help us celebrate this milestone birthday as a ministry. Let’s listen to that message:

Mark Kenny: My name is Mark Kenny. I'm calling from Tucson, Arizona. I know that Revive Our Hearts is for the most part a women's ministry, but I have been ministered to in so many different ways on the morning podcast particularly the one recently on "The One Thing," the two parts series. I have been forever changed. I have spread the good news of your ministry to a lot of my friends have printed the transcripts.

I have been so blessed to listen to the program every morning and share what I've learned to others because we are in such need of this message. About forty-six years ago I gave my life and heart to Jesus. But because of your ministry, about a year ago, I gave Him my entire being. I again wanted to say thank you for all that youre doing and for a life here in Tucson who's been forever changed and certainly blessed. Thank you.

Dannah: I love it! We are so grateful God uses Revive Our Hearts to encourage listeners like Mark. 

If you’ve been blessed by the biblical teaching Nancy and others share here on the program, would you consider making a donation to keep us going? We are am entirely listener-supported ministry, which means that, for the last twenty-five years, faithful friends of Revive Our Hearts have come alongside us to make it all possible. We still can’t do the work of ministry without you. If you feel led to give, you can do that by visiting ReviveOurHearts.com, or calling us at 1-800-569-5959. 

When you do, we’ll send you Nancy’s newly-released Advent devotional, Consider Jesus, a beautiful invitation to remember the true source of peace and joy this Christmas. Just request your copy when you give. 

Well, next week, we’re going to keep looking to Jesus together as we consider His earthly example. How can we become more like Jesus in our everyday lives?

Nancy: The gospel will not be received if it cannot be seen in the lives of those of us who profess to believe it. That's the point. You can call yourself a Christian. But if your life doesn't bear implication, the transforming implications of the gospel in how you talk and in what eat and what you drink and how you live, your habits, how you use your time, how you treat other people, how you open your home in hospitality. All these many practical issues that are the outflow and the overflow of the gospel in your life. If you life doesn't show those, then there is no basis how the world can look at our lives and say, "I believe the gospel."

Dannah: We’re going to talk about that! Please be back for Revive Our Hearts.

This program is a listener-supported production of Revive Our Hearts in Niles, Michigan, calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

All Scripture is taken from the ESV.

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