I Am With You
Notes
Transcript
Preliminary
Preliminary
Introduction
Introduction
Do you ever feel that God is a million miles away?
I have.
You pray and feel like you’re doing all the talking.
You read the Word and just feel like you are reading words on the page
You try to worship and just feel like you are just going through the motions.
We often say - this is when we need revival - and that is true
We do need those times when God’s presence fills us and overflows us
But sometimes we also need to adjust our mindset
One of those adjustments is realizing that our feelings do not correspond with the facts.
The Scripture is full of promises and assurances that those who walk in the light - who maintain their relationship with Jesus will never be away from His presence.
One of those is among my favorites Isa 41:10
Isa 41:10 “10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
“I AM WITH THEE”
“With is a special word... a preposition a word that talks about position........
Nice to be around, beside, on , above, below, ..... but with denotes not leaving, like a fragrance is with you ...
Throughout the Word God said, “I am with you” .... never leaving, not separated from
Why is that important?
I am with you!!!! This is the Lord saying this to each and every one of us not only today but each and every day!.”
One has said “sometimes it’s easier to take that as a collective with you all instead of with you personally.”
They go on to say… “When Jesus seems absent, he may simply be in his Emmaus disguise, urging us to hear and see him in the scriptures.”
Can you imagine the two on the way to Emmaus - I think about them often - It is such a powerful illustration of God always being where you are
They are no doubt wondering “Where is God?”
Oh if the human scales could be lifted from our eyes - we would be amazed at how close God is -
Wherever you Go God is there
Wherever you Go God is there
Jacob found this out in his dream of the Ladder from heaven. - Genesis 28:15
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
The Psalmist recognized this
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
There's a story oft-told on the Internet—true or not, I don't know—about Susan, a 34-year-old woman who lost her sight due to a medical misdiagnosis. She fell into a deep depression. Once fiercely independent, now she couldn't function. Her husband, Mark, suffered along with her. Mark loved his wife and was determined to help her, so he worked with her on each of the skills needed for her to return to independent living. After many months, Susan decided she could return to work. Every day, Mark, an Air Force officer, would drive his wife to work, walk her into the office, make sure she was settled, leave to go work at his base across town, and then pick her up at the end of the day. This went on for several weeks. But for reasons of distance, cost, and time, it couldn't go on that way. Mark told Susan that she would have to learn to take the bus. "But I can't ride the bus to work," she replied. "I'm blind. How am I going to know how many stairs there are? How am I going to know what path to take? I feel like you are abandoning me." Just as he had done from the very beginning, Mark promised that he would do whatever it took to help her until she felt confident and independent on the bus. He helped her with the routes. He helped her learn the stairs and learn the paths. Finally, after two weeks of practice, Susan faced the journey alone one Monday morning.
Susan made her way to work, on her own, every day for a week. On that Friday morning, Susan made her way onto the bus, and as she went to pay her fare, the bus driver said, "Ma'am, I envy you." Susan said, "Are you talking to me? What do you mean?" The driver replied, "Every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely, and he watches you until you enter your office building. He never takes his eyes off you. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute, and walks away. You are one lucky lady."
Maybe you don’t see Him, maybe you don’t feel him - but I promise you on the authority of God’s word HE IS THERE
1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Where Was God?
During World War II, following word that an only son had been killed in action, a priest was called to the home of grief-stricken parents. The father, pacing the floor, weeping, in anger demanded, “Where was God when my son was being killed?” Silence prevailed. Then the ministering priest replied, “I guess where He was when His Son was being killed.” The calm, profound answer impacted the father, for it brought God out of remoteness into the circle of real life.