He Is There

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

To the Very End of the Age

Has it ever happened to you that when you were in the middle of a challenge or a problem you were going through, someone said to you: “I’m going to pray for you”? What was the first thing that came to your mind? Did you perhaps think that the person was saying it just to make you feel good, but wouldn’t actually do it?

Or maybe it was the other way around, someone opened their heart to you and you replied with the first Christian response that came to your mind: “I’m going to pray for you.” But deep down inside, you knew you wouldn’t do it. 

I’ve had both things happen to me, so I try to be very intentional when someone shares their challenges with me, and right at that moment, I pray with them. I do this because I consider it to be a privilege and I want to be responsible with the people that come to me and open their hearts and ask for prayer.  

In Matthew 28:20, we read that Jesus told his disciples that He would be with them to the very end of the age. How does this phrase make you feel? Do you relate it to the words of those people who say they will pray for you, but probably won’t do it?

It may cause you to wonder if Jesus would really be with you forever, or if He only said that to encourage his disciples at that particular moment.

Perhaps you think that Jesus didn’t actually mean to say what He said, but that He was speaking more metaphorically than literally. And that’s how you end up remembering all those times when you felt like He was not there with you and you conclude that Jesus’ promises are nothing but empty words.

You might believe that the promise of His presence with us at all times in our lives is false, but it isn’t. Jesus’ commitment to be with us to the very end of the age means just that: He will be with us always. Because Jesus’ words are aligned with God’s heart towards us.

If God gave His life to save you, why should you think that He will abandon you now? His love is everlasting and His faithfulness endures forever. He is with you to the very end of the age.

Prayer: Lord, I ask you to help my heart to trust Your words. Don’t allow my experiences determine my faith, but lift my faith to the level of Your promises. Help me to walk in confidence, knowing that You are by my side to the very end of the age. Amen.

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:9, Psalms 139:7-10, Psalms 23:4, Psalms 34:18

He is There

I love the image that Deuteronomy 31 shows of God. In this verse, Moses tells Joshua how God will go before him and that He will never abandon him.

When Moses passed away and Joshua became the leader of Israel, God spoke directly to him with the same promise. And when the time came for him to set out and cross the Jordan to inherit the Promised Land, the Lord repeated to Joshua once again that He would be with him. 

We can always see in God’s heart the desire to be there with us, in every moment of our lives. God wants us to understand that we are not alone, but that His presence is with us.

In the midst of every challenge, He is there. Because Jesus said that He would be with us forever. But it is one thing to know that He said it, and it is another thing to believe and live with the understanding that He is truly by our side. 

This is something that David was very clear about and he expressed it constantly in the Psalms:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”.

Are you feeling sad? He is there. Do you feel like you are walking through a valley surrounded by death? He is there. Are you trying to run away from God or walk away from him? I’m sorry to tell you that it is impossible because as children of God, we have the promise that His presence is with us at every moment. 

He is there when you walk through the valley.

He is there in the midst of your pain.

He is there when you lose a loved one.

He is there when you are feeling lonely.

He is there when your need overwhelms you, when it seems like everything around you is falling apart.

He is there at every moment because that is His promise. That’s why you can walk with confidence and certainty within you, knowing that come what may in this world, your God will be with you and will go before you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for always being with me. Help me to be strong and courageous in the midst of the season I am going through. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Scriptures: 2 Kings 6:13-17, Isaiah 41:8-10

A Change in Perspective

The Bible tells us in 2 Kings 6:13-17 about a time when Elisha, a man of God, was being pursued by order of the king. Elisha and his servant Gehazi were surrounded by an army with horses and chariots with no chance of escaping.

Can you imagine how Gehazi must have felt at that moment?

He did not understand that God was with them. From his perspective, they were about to enter the battlefield alone. His focus was on the enemy, the challenge and what he could see with his natural eyes, so he didn’t see that there was an army of angels surrounding them.

Elisha prayed that Gehazi’s eyes would be opened and that he would understand that they were not going to fight this battle alone. As soon as this happened, his viewpoint changed and he understood that God was with them.

When you know God is there, it changes your perspective and you see things you couldn’t see before.

Do you let anxiety rule your heart? You may think that when Jesus said He would be with us, He used words that He didn’t really mean.

But His presence is a promise that is full of God’s love, and it is fulfilled daily, when we sleep and when we wake up. He has been with us every moment of our lives.

From the moment your perspective changes, you walk through this world knowing that you are not alone, knowing that the King of glory is with you at every moment.

When you understand that Jesus is there, you can face any situation, any health or economic crisis, because you don’t do it in your own strength. Remember that you are not alone, and that those who are with us outnumber our enemies.

If God brought you this far, He did not do so to abandon you now. So do not be afraid, for He is with you; do not be distressed, for He is your God. He will strengthen you and help you in the midst of the trials.

He is there in the midst of your troubles!

Prayer: Lord, I pray that today You would change my perspective. I ask that You open my eyes to see Your faithfulness in my life. Thank You for never leaving me alone in the midst of the battle. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:45

A Revelation That Gives Us Courage and Confidence

Today’s passage is set in the story of a young boy named David. A teenager who was about to face a giant, Goliath.

David was a believer who knew that God was with him every step of the way. He had faced a bear and a lion and had been victorious both times, because God had been with him. So this time, David knew it would be no different, and that God would give him victory again, this time over a giant that challenged the people of Israel.

In 1 Samuel 17:45, we can read David’s response when the giant taunted the Israelites: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come before you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have challenged.”

David knew that he had not entered that field with his own abilities, that it was not he alone who would fight against Goliath, but God through him. Just as God had been at his side against the bear and the lion, He would be with him now, facing the giant.

In your own life, what giant are you afraid to face because you think God is not with you? In your marriage, in your finances, in your emotions, in your mind, what spiritual giant do you dare not face?

You need to decide, because God has already done His part, He promised to be with you. It is time to look the challenge in the eye and face it without fear.

We know that our fight is not fought with a sword or with an army, but with the Spirit of God that strengthens and empowers us. When you have the revelation that He is there, it gives you courage and confidence.

When we come to understand that God goes with us, we dare to live by faith, to step out and seek new opportunities, to reach more people and make a difference. We dare to demonstrate a gospel of acceptance and love.

God is there to do what we can’t do. He is strengthened in our weaknesses. Jesus is looking for a vessel to mold and fill, to develop His plan and purpose. Are you willing to be that vessel?

Prayer: Jesus, I ask that You help me to be strong and courageous. Help me to face the giants. Help me to understand that this life is not perfect, but it is a life of faith and fighting the good fight. Thank you for being with me every day. Amen.

Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:8, Genesis 28:15, Deuteronomy 20:1, 2 Timothy 1:7

A Revelation That Eliminates Fear

“Do not be afraid of anyone,” are the words of God, in Jeremiah 1:8. But what does “anyone” mean? According to the dictionary, it means “any person at all.”

God told Joshua that there would be battles to come, land to inherit and cities to conquer, but before setting out again on this journey of faith, Joshua needed to understand that he should not fear anyone because God would be with him to deliver him.

The revelation that He is there eliminates the fear in our hearts. If you could eliminate the fear in your life, what step would you then dare to take? What door would you knock on? What people would you talk to? God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.

Fear is a thief. It paralyzes you, keeps you stuck, points you to the past, steals your faith and lowers your expectation. But when you understand that God is there, in the midst of challenge, in the midst of pain, in the midst of sickness, in the midst of a divorce or whatever battle, everything changes. We live in a fallen and sinful world, and Jesus never promised us a trouble-free life, but He did promise us that He would be with us in the midst of it all and to the very end of the age!

All along the way, there will be storms, challenges, pandemics, economic crises, loss of loved ones and emotional attacks that will seek to limit your faith. You will have tribulations, the wind will blow and the waters will rise, but rest assured that God will be with you to the very end of the age!

God knows your tears, your pain and your worries. He knows what keeps you awake at night and keeps you from resting. Distress may have you focused on the wrong thing today, but God wants you to know that He is there with you. This revelation will change your perspective, because there are more with us than those who are against us.

This revelation will give you faith and courage to face any giant and give you the confidence to know that God will fight with you. It will eliminate fear and you will begin to live by faith.

Fear not! For He is there.

Prayer: Father, today I pray that we’ll have a deep and powerful revelation that You are there, at every moment. I pray that You will strengthen the faith of those who find themselves in a difficult situation. And I thank you, Lord, that Your promises are not empty words, and You will never abandon us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.