Are You With Me?

 

You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its farthest regions,
And said to you,
‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and have not cast you away:
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.’  Psalm 41:9-10 (NKJV)

 

My mom and I spent a year in Boston while she was finishing her Masters degree.  She was often sick that year, and while she was finishing a major paper from a hospital bed, I would go home alone to study and rest.  It was not that I did not have people to watch over me.  In fact, several friends would stop by our apartment to just check in on me to ensure everything was alright.  One might suspect that at times I might have had a level of loneliness.  That was not the case at all.  I always felt my mom was there with me, and I behaved as such.  My faith was not as big to me then as it is now.  Today with children and grandchildren, there never seems a moment when I’m alone, but at times when it is late at night and I am trying to figure out what to write in my devotion, there can be a sense of loneliness.  “God?  Are you with me,” I say to myself?  I know He is there.  But it is a subtle reminder of where my focus is for that moment.  I could be watching the game or an episode of one of my favorite shows, but as I have previously written, sometimes you have to tune out the noise around you so that you can focus on God.  The simple utterance of the words, “Are you with me,” ensures for that moment, my focus is truly and exclusively on Him.

It is good for us to take time out to focus on God’s presence in our lives.  I love these verses in Psalms because of how reassuring it is, and while it is easier to understand using the New Living Translation, I preferred the New King James because it both read like a poem and felt more personal.  No matter how far we may seem, God is there, and we are His most prized possession.  We have no reason to be afraid or discouraged.  When we are weak, God will strengthen us, and when we are weary, He will hold us up.  These two simple verses cover so much ground.  Even when we think we are, we are never truly alone.  David prefaced this in the 23^rd Psalm saying, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me.” (Psalm 23:4a NKJV) This reassurance is invaluable in times where we might be on a solo mission.  When no one believe in you, God does.  He is there to help, talk, guide, instruct, and strengthen.

There are no boundaries that can withstand God’s pursuit of us.  This leaves us with a very simple question.  Why would we ever feel alone?  If we have an authentic and loving relationship with Him, we would not.  So if you are lost or just wondering, remember the old African hymnal:

No, never alone!  No, never alone!  He promised never to leave me, Never to leave me alone!

Never Alone (Unknown)

What is driving your feelings of loneliness?  What void of abandonment can Jesus fill today and beyond?  My prayer is that we know God is with us, and reassure ourselves as much by simply asking God, “Are you with me?”  Amen.

Always There

Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” Exodus 3:10-12

It seems maintaining faithfulness in tough times has become a theme for the New Year as I have been inundated with stories of people dealing with tough times.  Not just your ordinary ‘have a rough week’ tough times. Instead, more of the ‘the husband and pastor of my church was killed by someone he was trying to help and I do not understand why God allowed this to happen’ tough times (not my pastor by the way). These are the times you find out how real God is in your life.  What do you do when you feel all of the prayers are unanswered and the words of friends trying to comfort you fall hollow?  I admit at those times I initially feel lost and a bit alone.  However, this does not send me to a place of blaming God for my woes.  Instead, it becomes a time to exercise patience and trust in His word knowing He is there with me.  Always.

Tough times are when God’s promises will give you comfort.  The story of God revealing Himself to Moses is always encouraging to me. It’s not just the knowledge of God existence as I mentioned last week.  It is Moses’ perspective here that is revealing.  We all have the moment where we look at a task or situation that we are in, and we ask ourselves, “How can we deal with this?”  How do I overcome the pressure where there is no relief? How do I deal with the pain that seems never ending or sorrow that won’t go away?  After being given the directive to lead the people of Israel out from slavery, Moses, understanding how massive an undertaking God was giving to him, asked a similar question; Who am I to do this?  God reassured Moses saying, “I will be with you.”  Thus, Moses’ perspective went from just the average guy to God’s personal messenger.  This would instill all the confidence he needed to follow God’s instruction.  We all have those moments where we are simply overwhelmed.  However, these are the times where we should remain faithful and be filled with the never ending hope as written in Romans 12:12 (Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying).

Our journey of faith is an ongoing story filled with both struggles and successes.  Our goal is not to run from challenges.  It is to continue looking forward and focusing on God. Furthermore, we must maintain our hope that the purpose of our current situation will revealed in the future. So let us remember the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 4 fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and remaining faithful.  How can assurance of God’s presence aide you in your current situation?  What challenge do you need to take to God today? My prayer is that we continue to look forward to God knowing He is always there.  Amen.

No Never Alone

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  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.  Matthew 28:19-10

While there is so much going on in the world today, I want to speak of something more personal as it has relevancy to much of what is going on.  This past weekend, I lost a friend, and while all indications was that he was a believer, I could not help but feel the sadness of a life gone too soon.  It also brought me to realize one of the worldly devices that is creating greater stress in the world.  It is called loneliness.  I listen to experts, and see the data that points to a declining church and that people feel a disconnect with it.  With that disconnect, there is this empty space where loneliness takes its place.  It is not easy for me to ignore because I have such a connection with an awesome God, but many will say I just need to worry about myself.  But I can’t.  So I ask myself how can I not feel suffering when others feel they have no one to turn to.  What can I do to be accountable to making God’s presence in the world more known?

There is a reason Jesus commissioned us to teach others of God.  Many will disagree, but I believe much of what has gone awry in the world deals directly with the void of God in those places.  People who are alone are much more susceptible to evil, violence, and deception.  Our job as followers of Christ is to stay connected not only with God but also those who do not know of Him.  They are the ones who need to know of a God who loves them deeply, and must realize that whether they don’t have someone or do but sense no one cares about them, God is always watching, listening, loving, and protecting them.  There is no depth of loneliness or despair that God cannot touch, heal, and make one feel anew!

God is the only answer to save others.  The world is a ruthless tool of the devil for as 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”  Armed with the truth, we have joy everlasting through Jesus Christ.  We have been given true victory, and with it, we know He is with us always for God has said. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)  Anyone who knows this will never ever be alone.  Who do you know that may be feeling alone?  Who in pain needs a reminder of God’s faithful promises?  My prayer is that when others feel abandoned, we are able to sing to them the old spiritual hymnal, ‘No Never Alone.’  Amen.